not roosting in coop and egg laying issues.

[allabouttheeggs]

I need help! Due to a family emergency, I've been away for a few months and my husband was left in charge of the animals. During that time they seemed to have picked up some bad habits.
Our chickens have always been free rangers, so they haven't eaten a whole lot of food. And we don't really do treats because of how large our property is. Before our family emergency, everybody was going in to our coop on their own at night to roost. Since I got back, none of them are. They are flying on top of the coop and then flying into a tree. Two months ago I had 23 chickens and I now have 15, 3 of those being lost in the past few days. That's a big loss. And an expensive one at that. How can I get them back into the coop? I know that I need to keep them all confined for a while to "train" them again, but I'm trying to figure out how to get them in there. Like I said, we don't really do treats, so it's hard to lure them in with the rattling the food can trick. And our chickens are not really "people friendly" they usually go running.
They all should be around egg laying age too, so I'm afraid that they are laying somewhere else since I am only getting 2-3 eggs a day.
Thank you in advance for any advice that you guys have!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You may have to train them to like scratch grains first and then use them to get them into the coop.
If you start early in the day that may work.
Can you catch them after they go to roost? A ladder and big net may work.

 

[aart]

Do you provide feed at all, do they eat some of it and where is the feeder located?
Do you have a run?
Is your coop big enough to confine them all to 're-train/home' them?
All hens, or is there a cockerel(s) involved?

Agrees you'll have to start offering some kind of 'rattle can treats' either in the run or coop to lure them in and remind them that you are the 'flock leader'.

Sorry for your troubles, could take some time but you'll figure it out.

 

[jeanetteiacovon]

I need help! Due to a family emergency, I've been away for a few months and my husband was left in charge of the animals. During that time they seemed to have picked up some bad habits.
Our chickens have always been free rangers, so they haven't eaten a whole lot of food. And we don't really do treats because of how large our property is. Before our family emergency, everybody was going in to our coop on their own at night to roost. Since I got back, none of them are. They are flying on top of the coop and then flying into a tree. Two months ago I had 23 chickens and I now have 15, 3 of those being lost in the past few days. That's a big loss. And an expensive one at that. How can I get them back into the coop? I know that I need to keep them all confined for a while to "train" them again, but I'm trying to figure out how to get them in there. Like I said, we don't really do treats, so it's hard to lure them in with the rattling the food can trick. And our chickens are not really "people friendly" they usually go running.
They all should be around egg laying age too, so I'm afraid that they are laying somewhere else since I am only getting 2-3 eggs a day.
Thank you in advance for any advice that you guys have!

I would start by cutting the flight feathers so they can not fly to the trees and then when it is dark grab one at a time and put them in the coop. It may take a few weeks but they should get the idea. Aee you sure you do not have a preditor?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Apparently they do have predators. They lost 8 chickens.
If they could catch the chickens to cut the flight feathers, they could catch them to put them in the coop.

 

[jeanetteiacovon]

Apparently they do have predators. They lost 8 chickens.
If they could catch the chickens to cut the flight feathers, they could catch them to put them in the coop.