Putting your chickens a sleep at dusk

[VanUnamed]

Hello, I have a question, maybe this occurred to many of you too.
As we know, chickens go to sleep when it's dark so in essence they put themselves asleep without us.
I see my neighbour, about 45 minutes or so before it's dark dark and chickens are around, she comes with a broom, or sometimes with nothing at all, and chickens go to sleep. Mine, wait another 45 minutes before they go "by themselves". even right now in winter, i do also hear from afarr rooster making their "alarm" call or hens squawking about half an hour or so before it's dark. I assume also other people do this trick. Today I tried too. Usually they go at 6.45pm when it's so dark that i need to turn on a small 5 watt light in their coop so they can see the roosts. I went there at 6.20, i started chasing them around with a broom in my hand, after a few back and forth all went in.
I may sound mean, but today it was freezing and I really don't understand why I should wait for them to decide when it's about to sleep. They do feel fine even if it's several degrees below zero, but we do not, and also I did see the fox lurking out of the run at about well, when they decide it's time to START going to sleep.
The simple fact that they do go to sleep when one comes that is about to be dark, I suspect they DO Know it's time, but they simply ignore it.

 

[chrissynemetz]

I don't have to put my chickens to bed. They follow the lead of my dominant rooster... when he decides it's time to go to roost, the rest follow shortly behind him. And he's getting older so he's ready to call it a night pretty early

 

[sourland]

Not a bad idea to train them to coop up before the predators arrive.

 

[jcoz]

My girls go in as soon as the automatic barn light kicks on at dusk. If they see me outside some will come back out, but as soon as I go into the coop they follow. During winter I generally give them a snack of scratch/meal worm/black oil sunflower mix, inside the coop, just for some extra calories. I believe they anticipate that after a while. I did have one in a previous batch disappear. I was certain I had lost her to foxes. Two weeks later, I saw the little turd hiding under an upended tree stump in the woods near the run - she was sitting on two dozen eggs!

 

[Chickassan]

A routine is a life saver, literally!
Luckily chickens loooooove routines.
The ones here know when I remove the cinder block that props the coop door open it is time for bed.
I started this when they were chicks.
I would give them a treat at the door, remove the block and put them in the coop.
Now they're grown, i'd look silly putting them inside and they have their own orbits so treats don't happen either.
I do still have the block, and it works just fine.
I have a second group that has heard "time for fat little chickens to go to bed" each night too.
That is all they need to hear to go roost.
I have seen my birds decision making skills, i'd never leave it up to them.

 

[aart]

Mine are all roosting well before dead dark....but mine are not free ranged.

 

[VanUnamed]

Well well, today? Went there at 6.20 as soon as I took my broom, started saying " to bed! to bed!" in less than 5 minutes all went in. So apparently it does work. Thankfully. it was 25F with strong northerly wind.

 

[tdan]

Mine are up at an hour before dark since we lost several pekin to owl, in late afternoon hours. Once the bramha roo calls the girls, they go in. The ducks also go to bed and get up as the roo dictates and I think it has saved their lives. they have several thousand sqr ftt of pen but not quite free range.

 

[Shadrach]

Bribery and routine works for me.....mostly.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/getting-chickens-out-of-trees-and-into-their-coops.75511/

 

[tdan]

I have an area of my run with a 4' fence and occasionally chooks jump out when I'm not letting them free. I don't chase them anymore, just throw the flock some yellow crack and they usually come to the gate to be let back in.

Honestly, I think they are now jumping out to trick me into treats but if the flock isn't all out, they are right by the run waiting for their bribe.

Some chickens learn very quick if there are snacks involved. Gave my ‘Count Tel’ a few mealworms while she was on a swing. Next few days I held a few mealworms on the same height and she hopped on the swing for a treat. Now she jumps on the swing every evening I come with food, hoping for a extra special treat. Even if I dont bring the little bucket with snacks. Then she looks at me saying with her body language: “ please go back inside for my treat. “