Keets be crazy - suggestions for getting them to bed at night?

[NoisyCricket]

I have 30 keets (without checking the calender I am going to say they are about 8 weeks old), that can't seem to figure out how to get in their house at night. I put them in their new coop 2 weeks ago, and left them locked in for a week. Then I let them out into their run and it took them 3 days to get brave enough to leave the coop. Now they are in the run all day, but at dusk they can't seem to figure out how to get back into the coop.

The coop is raised. Last night I put a ramp which goes from the ground into the coop, through one of the two pop doors, and rests on the roost. Some of them went into the coop with this set up, but got scared and came out, presumably, because there was only one or two keets in it at a time. I also took the outside roost out of the pen 1/2 hr before dusk. Tonight I plan on putting a flashlight inside the coop to see if light will help draw them in.

Does anyone else have any other suggestions to train them to go inside? The run is not secure enough to leave them out all night. I have been putting them in by hand each night for the last 4 nights and no one is happy with that solution (they have sharp little claws, and good lungs!).

 

[mnferalkitty]

I make sure mine are in before dark because once it starts getting dark they won't go in, I throw a handful a grain in the coop way to the back and then I go behind the keets with an umbrella and open and close the umbrella and they go in.

 

[NoisyCricket]

Success last night. I put a tarp across the bottom of the coop, so they couldn't go under, then opened one of the clean out doors and nailed a piece of wire mesh across it. That let enough light in that they could see, and I shooed them in a few at a time. YAY!