Okay...it happened......

[msduras]

I selfishly bought 4 barred rock hens and a 6 week old Barred Rock rooster for the sole purpose of having eggs and Fresh chicken.........

It happened....The four sisters...while they are purely evil....(peck me.....give me "the look") they are beautiful...and my little roo? Named him Cogburn after my favorite John Wayne movei ROOSTER COGBURN...he is fantastic....okay....I admit....I like my chickens.......

Now the question.....these will be "free range" chickens..we have a GORGEOUS HUGE coop for them to lay up at night...and have kept the girls in there now for 3 days...we will be letting them out to eat grass and pluck away.......as their food and water are in the coop...is it realistic to expect them to come in at night? If not...any advice? Cogburn is too little to be out so he has accomodations in my husbands "man cave" ...yes...he won my husbands heart tooo....

 

[worldwidechick]

Hi and Welcome!!!

I like to let the chickens out later in the evening, say an hour before dark, allowing them to peck around their coop door, gradually letting them out earlier and earlier in the day. You should be able to corral them into the coop as it gets dark. One thing to encourage them to go in, feed them late in the evening or throw some scratch around in there for them. Chickens seem to become attached to their abode quickly, it took my last bunch about 3 nights to get the hang of where to go to sleep. Now, if they'd all roost instead of pile up. Some of them are evil silkies though, so I'll be PLACING them on the roost each and every night of the 30+ years they live

spoiled little cuties

I am so sorry you have caught the terrible human contageous avian chicken compulsion disease. You know you need to fill that huge, beautiful coop up right? And before winter sets in? 5 itty bitty birds will just freeze this winter when it turns cold, so they'll be needing company. Now, lets plan your flock!!!

WARNING, this forum robs you of precious sleep. HenZ

Using World Wide Chick's (my DD) by mistake. I forgot to log her out.

 

[popcornpuppy]

I agree with worldwidechick to let the chickens out and gradually increase the amount of time that they are are out, as well as using food to encourage them to go in. And I don't think it was selfish to get hens! People are starting to revert back to farming chickens because it can be done in just about any backyard. It's also alot of fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'd just add that it often gets dark in the coop before it does outside. If you have electricity in there, you might put a night light in there on a timer so they can see to get to their roosts. They can't see in the dark. It seems to help attract them to the coop also. I'd keep it on just a few minutes after dark. A regular night light should be enough.