Putting up at night...what am I doing wrong?

[ChickenRelatedUserName]

An hour before sounds too early. My chickens go in about a half hour before there is no light. The ducks go in after there is no light.

Coyotes and raccoons will both be out earlier then you are putting them away, if they are around.

 

[TominWa]

The nightly dance. Mine are pretty good but these longer days.....They do like to sleep in I have found.

 

[Coolbreeze89]

I find I have to wait until dusk, sun has already set, then go lock down and all the birds are in the coop. Even a few minutes can make all the difference, some just like to be the last one up, others want to be the first to claim their spot.
As long as they know where home is there is no need to chase them into the coop, grab a cold drink set back and let it happen.

I waited longer last night, til just before darkness. All were in. Thanks!

 

[azygous]

It just takes a little training. And your chickens will have you doing exactly what they want.

 

[aart]

It just takes a little training. And your chickens will have you doing exactly what they want.

 

[centrarchid]

Try a long stick. Go out farther than the farthest away hen, position yourself so that the chickens are between you and the coop or run gate. Tap the ground and say "hut, hut" or something similar. Step forward moving slow, and only move forward until the chickens begin to walk away from you toward the coop. When they stop, you take a step or too, tapping the ground calling, but just until they begin to move, then stop. This is a case where going slow is faster. If a bird try to get by you, just tap the ground near her. If she does escape, just ignore her and keep pressuring the other birds.

If you have a bit of scratch on the ground just inside the gate, it will help, them a bigger pile farther in. Now go back and repeat with any of the birds that got away.

If you move slow, you can quickly gather a flock up anytime of the day if you want to pen them.

Mrs K

I have done something similar to what Mrs. K suggest with modification where stick is held up as I approach. To make stimulis even stronger a rag can be tied to the end. Setup seems to promote similar response produced by aerial predators.

 

[Backyard Bruce]

My chickens are a bunch of lightweights, they're up on their roosts at the latest by 6pm, usually by 5:30 they're moving that way.
Party animals they're not.

 

[mixedbreeds]

Mine are not all in bed on the roost till 9:00 pm