Topic of the week - Coop training the flock

[Mr Spot]

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We spend a lot of money and effort on nice, cozy, comfortable, and above all safe coops for our flocks, but inevitably we'll have the odd one or few that prefer roosting outside in a tree instead of returning to the coop at night. Or the sneaky hens that lay their eggs under a bush somewhere, instead of in the nest boxes provided!

This week I would like to hear your tips and tricks for training the flock to make use of the facilities provided. Specifically:

- How you do train your flock to return to the coop at night?
- How do you get your hens to use the nest boxes?

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Pic by @swamperkk
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For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

Mine was pretty easy, the coop is inside the run, which is completely enclosed, and I kept them closed up in the coop for a few days. When I first let them out a few wanted to sleep on top of the coop but I chased them off the top with a broom, that only lasted a few days and they have been sleeping inside ever since. On nest box training I bought some of the ceramic eggs from amazon and put them in the nest boxes when they started getting old enough to lay. I only found 1 egg on the coop floor and that was our very first one, they have all used the nest boxes ever since.

 

[MasAhora]

Most of our hens roost in a plum tree in the run. This isn't really an issue in New Zealand, our winter weather is pretty mild and they have shelter if they want/need it. Predators aren't really an issue either
All the hens lay in the nest boxes in the coop though, unless they good broody. In that cause they find some very good hiding spots in the run and turn about a month later with chicks

Our older hens roost in the coops like good chickens. The reason the younger ones don't is they were raised outside the run (a naughty broody got out and hatched 14 chicks). When we finally got them back in the run, they just roosted in a tree like they had before. The the tree in the run is too high to climb and grab them to put them in the coop, so we just left it

As for getting them to use the coop/nest boxes, confining them to the coop for a few days works. If they have other chickens to copy from that can also help (but not always)

But does anyone know how to get chickens out of tall trees? Catching them before they roost isn't an option. To many hiding places

(Sorry this post is so long and probably weirdly worded, I'm typing on my phone)

I have cut the lower limbs off a tree that a certain group of hens choose to roost in because their mama decided to climb trees (she'd been a good coop girl before then!). They are the totally free range gang of my flock. All but one are now being confined to a new coop for a few weeks to train them where to roost and lay. I hope it works in the long term because I'm finally collecting a wonderful number of eggs!

 

[Happy hen lover]

My flock was too scared(chicken!) to go into coop at night so I put a small clip lamp with 40 watt bulb on a timer and they've gone in since . It's been so hot here the newbies have been hanging around on pierces in run instead of roosting in coop. I encourage them with squirt gun while light is still on ( they can't see me as it's dark by then) I just shine flashlight on ramp and they get the hint.

 

[Scruffy2k23]

I am new to this as I just got my start as a flock owner in June. We just put our 10 week old girls in the coop for the first night on Friday. The first night, we helped them into the coop and even open up the clean out door and set some of them on the roost.

Night 2, when we went out to put them in, about half of them were in the coop already, so we helped the remaining girls into the coop again.

Tonight we went out and to my surprise, all of them were already in the coop and the ones who like the roost were already settled in. We have a Silkie and a Buff that seem to prefer bedding in the leaves in the coop. So for us, the coop training was very easy. As far as laying, it will be a little while longer to see how that goes.

 

[Ponypoor]

It didn't work for me, with my ducks. They quickly learned it was a bribe and would just stare at me like, "Really? I'm not falling for that." So I had to get a stick out and herd them inside.

Yep I have a persuader stick I use and I tell them ‘go to bed’ they now know that phrase and immediately go to bed! I don’t have to use the stick often (it’s actually a buggy whip that I use with the horses), but it’s useful as an extension of your arm for pointing and guiding. I don’t think I need to say this but never ever use force on any animal.

When the kiddos are outside roaming around, when I want them back in the barn I tell them ‘go home’ and point to the barn and they go home . But I don’t let them roam too far due to heavy predator load here. If they roam too far I send them back to ‘mount poopmore’ as in ‘go to mount poopmore’ - and they go back to the manure pile

I started this when the very first chickens I got were babies, and now I have inherited hens from a cousin and my niece, these birds learnt the phrases fast following my chooks. There is no differentiation between horses or chickens here, they all must follow directions to keep them and me safe

 

[Ponypoor]

View attachment 2986513​

We spend a lot of money and effort on nice, cozy, comfortable, and above all safe coops for our flocks, but inevitably we'll have the odd one or few that prefer roosting outside in a tree instead of returning to the coop at night. Or the sneaky hens that lay their eggs under a bush somewhere, instead of in the nest boxes provided!

This week I would like to hear your tips and tricks for training the flock to make use of the facilities provided. Specifically:

- How you do train your flock to return to the coop at night?
- How do you get your hens to use the nest boxes?

View attachment 1300971

Pic by @swamperkk
​

For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

As for nest box use I have found that it’s less stress for me if I just do an Easter egg hunt every day….most lay where they should, but my niece’s hens are new here and there are two that enjoy laying in my hay pile, just tonight I found another treasure - she crawled under the sheet I have to protect the hay from poops, dug out a nest in the top of a bale and plopped an egg there, it’s more annoying when my silkie also decides she likes that spot! And who said silkies couldn’t fly or were dumb.

The crazy thing is this new hen will go into the hen house and haul hens off their nest boxes! But she will go and lay on the hay. Sheesh!

Oh then I had the smarty pants that lay eggs in the bag I put use to put hay twine in, imagine my surprise seeing 9 eggs in the twine bag

Or my 7 yr old hen who loves to lay eggs in shavings bags! And the best of all is laying an egg in the middle of the floor and my not stepping on it ha!

 

[Shadrach]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/getting-chickens-out-of-trees-and-into-their-coops.75511/

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I just acquired 12 Rouen ducks. Unknown who will be a drake or hen but the stick is what works or my hands and this post was funny because I feel like an airplane ground guide,lol lift right arm out so they go to the left or vice-versa. It is hilarious!

Never had issues with egg laying. I made 15" square nest boxes, 1 box per 4 hens, & I did put fake eggs in at 1st, when I built the new coop but I didn't with the 2nd coop & they figured it out fine. I don't have curtains on mine but I guess they feel there's enough privacy.

I had some orange snow sticks hanging around, they came in handy when I wanted to point in the direction I wanted free rangers to go...yup, my sweetheart said the exact same thing, it looked like I was at the airport, the official guidance lady. But hey, it works! I call, Chickens & Guineas come running & all I gotta do is use the orange stick to point, and in they go, nighty night.

Most times my Homing Pigeons will stop flying & come on in for a landing when I call. The few that don't, I can rattle the grain in a coffee can & they'll come in.

They all know where they feel safe.

My hens lay eggs on their own schedule (throughout the day lol) So I check for eggs morning & dusk. If a hen is laying her egg, I've noticed all other chickens are respectful & don't mess with her. Some may gather around the box, and sing with her, as if to cheer her on. At times when the box is empty, I've seen a Roo mosey in & a few hens try to join him, as they all proceed to cluck & chortle softly. It cracks me up. Are they doing acoustic sound checks?

 

[GoldenBlossoms]

All my chickens go into the coop no problem I don't think I have ever had an issue. Except one hen. (But it's not really her fault so I just deal with it) but my one hen (Golden laced Polish) never likes to go in the coop. She would rather jump up into the tree above the coop and sleep there. I always have to grab the tree brach and bring her down lol

The reason I don't blame her is because as a baby chick and 6 months of her begging life, she use to sleep in my bedroom in a parrot cage. So I think she misses it. When she started to lay eggs putting her with the other chickens was a better idea for night. (When she sleept in the bedroom she still went out to be with the other chickens during the day. There was never a problem with her being accepted into the flock, back when we only had 3 chickens in total) and now she sleeps in the coop with everyone with no issue.(we have 9 now) Just as long as I take her out of her tree and put her in the coop lol but now she is definitely bonded to me more then my others. As she always wants me to pick her up and even comes to me when called by her name.
Even if I have no treats lol

 

[Batchicks]

I bribed my girls with treats when I was first training them to return to the coop.

I used a can with seeds in it. They learned/now know, what the sound of the can shaking means.

I've done the same thing but with the heals from bread after keeping in the fridge to dry out. I don't give them too much bread but they will follow me anywhere to get some. I crinkle and shake the plastic so they associate a sound with treats