how to 'train' chicks on free-ranging

[RioLindoAz]

I train my chicks by putting food next to thier coop/nesting box so they come back every now and then and at night I put them in the nesting box and lock them there till morning them at about 6:00 I let them free range again.Do that for about 5 days them they will get in the habbit of going in at night

Good Luck

 

[FarmerDenise]

We made a small cage out of scrap wood and plastic chicken fence as a temporary outside pen for the little ones. We covered it with a piece of sheet metal roofing on half the side and the other we covered with an umbrella. After about three days of mostly supervised outside time, we let them out for about 1/2 hour before sunset. At most we had 8 chicks and three people to make sure they were ok.
Generally even the baby chicks want to come home to roost at night and they start gathering together to try and figure out where they are supposed to go. Eventually they make there way back to the outside cage or to the door to our back patio (where we keep them at night and on cold days).
Even in our city environment, there are too many predators to let our baby chicks roam without supervision. My friend watched as her full grown cochin hen was taken from her driveway by a hawk.

 

[arwmommy]

I trained mine by putting scratch in a tupperware container with a lid and shaking it and calling them. They learned VERY quickly to come running when they hear that, because they get a treat! So I go out and shake and call them and then walk to the coop--- they follow me right in, I throw scratch, leave, and lock them up for the night--- EASY!!


Good luck!