Jersey Giant Rooster Hard to Get in at Night!

[SheenaBilly]

So we've just thrown off our chickens this year by getting adventurous. We'v'e had production hens for about three years. We love them, but we wanted more eggs so got 3 barred rock hens and we kept one of the four roosters we ended up with. Then I decided to bring home a Black Jersey Giant rooster who is 4 months old from a nearby farm trying to get rid of them. The 8 sex links are really mean to him and he doesn't fight back. He stands on a roost all day inside and doesn't move. When I let him out to free range he's great and stays nearby, but then we can't get him in at night easily. One night it took us nearly an hour to get him in and we finally had to catch him and put him in ourselves. We don't let the hens out everyday, maybe once a week, because they leave our garden in hard shape. He did seem to be better going in when the hens were with him, they go in very well all day.
Since we just got day old EE's and Silkies, and we have an order in for 6 Jersey Giant chicks to get him some hens, I`m wondering if anyone has any advice on how to get him to go in a bit easier so we don`t have to have such a stressful bedtime?

 

[Mrs. K]

It can be a difficult when you add birds to your flock.

I get a long handle or stick, that I can tap the ground with..... stand so as to put the bird between me and the opening I want. I just tap the ground saying "hut, hut." And can herd them in.

Mrs K

 

[katelk]

Eventually if you have them on a normal routine, they will learn it.
When I have trouble herding my ladies and gents where I need them to go I also get a stick to help guide them.
I also have a dog who is addicted to tennis balls and I will throw her ball behind them or to the side and trick her into herding them where I want them to go