how to train my flock so I can let them out?

[Bejammie]

I bought 10 adult hens, not super skittish but not able to just pet them or anything. I want to be able to let them put an hour or two a day. How do I get them so they will come back in the pen when 8 need them to? I live in the woods and we have a lot of coyotes and snakes and hawks and eagles so I want to keep them safe in the pen at night...? any suggestions???

 

[Percheron chick]

They will return to the coop at night on their own. The problem will be when you need them to come home before their body tells them it's time to head in. I can always bait mine with treats. I can't whistle worth a darn but if I could I would have a treat whistle (maybe a bell?) and reward them for coming with treats. They are quick learners.

 

[Bejammie]

How do I keep them from going in the woods and getting lost or eaten? So if I leave the door to the pen open, they will stay around there and come back at dark? They werent raised here....lol it seems like they would fly into a tree or something? I live literally in the middle of a 15 acre woods area and there is no fence or anything but lots of barns and trees and im worried they will go nest somewhere else. Ive only had them one week.

 

[trailrider330]

You will need to coop train them first. Basically this means you will need to leave them in the coop for 7-10 days without letting them out. After that time you can let them out and they will return on their own. However, they will not come back until their bodies sense that the sun is setting and they are ready to roost. So, if you only want them out for a couple hours, you wouldn't want to let them out to free-range until 5:00 pm or so. The bad thing about free-ranging is that you can't really protect them from predators other than making sure they have places to go to get away from birds and animals of prey. Regardless, you will have losses sooner or later as that is a downfall of free-ranging.

 

[Bejammie]

Awesome! I had no idea they would go back on their own!! Thank you!! Im going to wait ab two weeks and let them out and see how it goes

 

[puss58]

I always bring treats when I want them to go back into the coop. All they need is to see me with a bag, saying "chickie, chickie, chickies" and they all come running. They really are trained easily.

 

[Percheron chick]

So start training them while they are in jail the next 2 weeks. Whistle, call, ring a bell whatever is going to be their signal, then toss some treats in the run. Only reward them inside the run. In a few days they will know what's coming.

 

[junebuggena]

Also, keep their feed and water in the run. Throughout the day, mine come back to their run for food and water or to lay their eggs. Towards evening, mine will come back into their run for their evening meal and drink before roosting. Usually, everyone is back in the run about a half hour before sunset.

 

[Bejammie]

Thank yall sooo much!!!!!

 

[bigt447]

I just put up a 100 ft plastic fence to keep mine out of woods ($25 at Tractor Supply). Start by letting them out late in day....mine came right back in coop without a hitch at roosting time.