My girls like it outside, alot.. lol

[Charrisse]

My girls (and at least one guy!) have been enjoying the days outside, free ranging if you will, until our run is complete. They dont stray to far from the coop, infact they usually end up under it, sleeping and dust bathing, after a few hours of chasing bugs and eating my garden :/ LOL
They are a little over 6 weeks old.
My question is: How do I get the little farts back in the coop (easier than chasing them for an hour). At dark will they just go back in by themselves? They tend to hide UNDER it lol Ive never waited until dark, to see what happens, the owls come out just before dusk and start calling, Im afraid they will end up as dinner, they are still just 6 weeks old.
They sure do love the big girl coop, and being outside with me all day when Im home. Great fun to watch.
Any ideas?

 

[TabbyG]

I don't have any ideas how to get them into the coop at night, I'm new to this! I'm excited about the warmer weather, I know my girls will want to spend some time in the sun before dark. What breed do you have?

 

[loanwizard]

Couple of ways.

You can always Hansel and Gretel them, leaving a trail of food to the coop, but the easiest way is to wit til after dark and grab them and close them in the coop for 3-4 days, imprinting on them where they are supposed to be. They are very docile at night which is why they are such an easy target. Under the coop, it's not owls you need to be wary of, but coon, possum, weasel and fox.

To save you some time, when you grab them, hold them by their feet and hold them heads hanging. It doesn't hurt them and they are calm. Take it from someone who has moved 50 plus at a time..... no, not 1 trip.

 

[Fierlin1182]

With my chicks, I put their brooder into the coop so they'd have something familiar to go in to every night, until the coop became their new home. After they're used to sleeping in the coop, you should have no trouble, as they find their own way in. I haven't had to interfere with bed time for over three years now.

 

[Charrisse]

Welp, their brooder has always been their coop.. its build like fort knox. I just added big girl roosts and gave them free run of it last weekend. (They only had a small sectioned off area before) Ill be adding nesting boxes this weekend. So since they have always been in there, they should return there automatically?
Its raised on one side, as its built on uneven land, and they seem to migrate underneath it when it starts to get dark. Once the run is complete, they wont have access to underneath, but until then they do. I chased em out again last night, and lured some with scrambled eggs lol I am afraid to wait till it gets dark, because the owls are out, and waiting. I hear them LOL
Thoughts?

 

[loanwizard]

You could always surround the area under the coop with hardware cloth and let them stay there with the installation of a pop door. Or, if you close it off and lock them in the coop for a few days, they will learn. They are definitely creatures of habit.