I'm a Flock Manager Failure :(

[txchickie]

Quote:
Trust me, it's not. Ours have free ranged for the last 2 years here, and I've locked them up for a week at a time when I've been gone out of town....they do directly back to the trees at night after being let out

 

[CityChook]

wow. My chooks would be insta-raccoon-food if I let them sleep in the trees. We're in the city but we're INFESTED. Shudder...

 

[herefordlovinglady]

Ya'll Thanks for all the good advice. I plan to see which direction they go in tonight. My luck they will stay out of the garage and head for the trees again. Then I know I will not be able to catch them. I hope to get about six more hens, so maybe they will be coop birds -- who knows....

Thanks again!

 

[bockbock2008]

It definatley takes some time. I would leave them locked up for at least 2 weeks. I was given about 15 game hens last year when a predator wiped out most of my flock. Over the summer I built back up and really didn't want to have to feed the games during the winter while they laid me no eggs so I butchered them all. Except 1. The day before they left for freezer camp, 1 hen did not return to the coop and that was last October. Her name is now Henny Penny and she lives in the holly tree behind my house. She comes out every morning to peck around below the bird feeder and see if the cats left anything.

 

[catdaddy66]

I was told that due to the glimmering brilliance of the chicken intellect you need to "coop" them up for 3-4 weeks before they learn where home is. In humans this also is the time frame for developing a new habit! Go figure!!

 

[K-Chick]

How about closing in their run with a net or something so they can only go in the coop or in the small run. Then they'd get use to going in and out of the coop.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Quote:
Trust me, it's not. Ours have free ranged for the last 2 years here, and I've locked them up for a week at a time when I've been gone out of town....they do directly back to the trees at night after being let out

I did only say "Should" LOL ... It worked for mine but every creature is different...

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

If you do get 6 more hens, start them out in their coop for about a week before letting them free-range. Give them treats to get them back in the coop in the late afternoon. If the others see them going back in, they may follow them. It may take awhile, but food is definitely the way to a chickens heart.

 

[desman]

I had five RIR, who as soon as they got old enough to fly to the lower limbs of the tree right beside there coop, they would roost there every night. What I had to do is cut the lower limbs of the tree that I could reach and then also clip one of the wings of each hen so that they couldn't reach the limbs of the tree. I closed them up in there coop for one night and they have been roosting there ever sence. I only had one tree to deal with so it wasn't to big a deal for me. I you have several trees in your area that they could get in then this my not be the best plan for you. Good luck.