Rounding up my chickens in the evening

[jamie78]

I'm wondering if there is an easier way to round up my chickens in the evening when I want to put them in their coop for the night. Since we live in the city and my birds are still pretty young (12 weeks), I don't want them left alone in the yard at all, let alone until dark when they'd go inside on their own. But when we go to collect them they run around wildly until we catch them! lol Is there an easier way or some trick to make them more cooperative? There are only 3 of them, too. Thanks!

Jamie

 

[Happy Chooks]

Scratch. Just a small amount - they will go anywhere for it. And they will recognize the cup too, so use the same one every time.

 

[shellyga]

FOOD.. the greatest motivator!! I had a couple of reluctant chickens that seem to want to forage at near dark.. and they are black chicks.. so what I did was turn on the coop light.. take some nice bread pieces .. some tasty treats.. and toss them about.. IF they wanted a treat.. they had to come in quickly--before the older girls swooped down from the roost.. I got in the habit of having a handful of scratch feed or treat to throw on the coop floor as I was locking them up.. that way.. those late night snackers could forage from the safety of the closed coop.

Shelly

 

[HEChicken]

Honestly, I've never bothered rounding them up at night to get them in the coop. I find that they go in themselves when its dark enough that they don't want to be out any more so I just wait until its dark and then close the coop.....

 

[crazeetxn]

Is your yard fenced in? Why not just let them go in on their own? I find mine go in around dusk and are up on their roost by dark. If I do have to round them up, I have a walking stick I use. NO, I don't beat them in

I just round them up with it. Don't know why, but if I just try and walk around, it takes a bit longer. But if I have a stick or something in my hand, it's easier to extend it out than my arms and they round up nicely.

 

[welasharon]

Mine are only able to free range when I am home so if I leave they have to go in. I made a habit of always saying here chick chick chick over and over again when I gave them treats. Now if I call that they come runniing in to get a treat.
sharon

 

[turbodog]

Treats. And a call that tells them it's treat time. Can be a s simple as just going "Here Chick Chick Chick!" Be consistant about it and they'll learn to come when you call.

 

[turbodog]

Quote:

I didn't realize you had already said the same thing I just did!

 

[jamie78]

My yard is open on one side and I'm always afraid a loose dog or stray cat will find their way into the yard and kill or injure them. I only leave them out if I am outside or if I am home and able to check on them every 15-20 minutes. Nothing seems to motivate them to go inside when I want them to go, although they will sometimes go in on their own for something to eat so then I can close the gate behind them. I'll have to look for some special treat because they are always fed a mix of the regular feed and a cracked corn mixture my husband bought from the feed store. They do seem to like oatmeal cookie.....

Jamie

 

[Eggcessive]

My chickens favorite time to free range is the hour before dusk, and they do not like to come in before it starts to get dark which right now is 9 pm here in So. Ohio. They go in to the coop at 8:55 and are up on the roost squabbling about positions by 9, and quiet by 9:15. Treats used to get them in earlier, but a few skittish ones won't come in for them now, and I have to chase them. If yours don't go inside on their own, I might leave them in the coop for several days so they would get used to going to bed at night on their roost. I don't want mine outside in the run at night, but locked up safe in the coop.