new and in need!

[coachwife2004]

Hello I'm new and will shortly be purchasing 5 cochins we live in the country (10 acres) how do you get the chickens back in to the pen at night?

 

[OrpingtonDad]

Your girls will be smarter than you think. Chickens always come home to roost as they say

Just be sure to keep them cooped up for a couple days first so they get to "know" the place and think of it as home.

 

[Laskaland]

Quote:
First:

I love Cochins... What I have done, is introduce the chickens to the coop by literally carrying them in the coop and then walking out. I have never had the buggars range out of sight of the coop. It's like their homebase. I keep the food and water inside the coop and I introduce this to them, too. At night, pretty much dusk, they magically return and find their favorite roost. I haven't lost one yet!! It may take a couple days for them to get the hang of it...when I moved them to a new coop they were confused for a few days, but caught on pretty quickly!!

Ask away!!
What does your husband coach??
Christina

 

[BeckyLa]

I always leave mine locked in the coop with food and water for an entire week. This gives them time to forget about their old home and get used to their new digs. It should all be familiar to them after a week, then begin by letting them out a couple of hours before dark. This gives them time to explore a bit but will soon want to go back to the coop and roost. After a few days of this, it should be safe to let them out for the day. Enjoy your new Cochins, they are sweet birds.

 

[antlers]

Quote:
yep!