Topic of the week - Coop training the flock

[Liz Birdlover]

Mine are going back in but they just lay in a pile by the door all night. I built my roosts for heavy birds so probably 2+ feet high. They refuse to use them. I’ve tried putting them on after dark but they all scream and cry and just jump back down and run to the corner by the door again. They are 13 weeks old. Should I just let them be?

My neighbor just got a few pullets, her 1st chickens. They needed time before they wanted to go inside and go up a ramp or jump up on a perch. Once they did, they started putting themselves to bed. I think hers were about 14-16 weeks old then.

 

[BDutch]

I've heard people say they use golf balls instead of fake eggs. I don't know if they are cheaper, or what. Do you have an opinion on using golf balls?

We don’t golf and have no golf balls. I used ping pong balls in the past, but some chickens know they are not good. Kicked them out of the nestbox. Golf balls are heavier and probably okay. You find out soon enough if the chickens don’t l like them.

 

[MiMito3]

My neighbor just got a few pullets, her 1st chickens. They needed time before they wanted to go inside and go up a ramp or jump up on a perch. Once they did, they started putting themselves to bed. I think hers were about 14-16 weeks old then.

Oh good. Thank you!

 

[Meadow Feathers Coop]

Once dawn hits they are waiting to go out, they are ready to go back in as soon as dusk hits. I didn’t train them, curiosity did!!

However I can not get my hens to use wall boxes. The’d rather all lay in one communial box on the floor. They actually wait in line to use the central box. I’ve tried taking it out, nope eggs on the ground.
They do lay eggs in the boxes but they throw the bedding out of them so it’s just an egg in a wooden box.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I have two coops housing my 2 yr olds and juveniles who are at POL along with a juvie cockerel. The juvies are locked in coop/run now, and at least 1 pullet is laying. If I free range the two factions in my yard without barriers will the juveniles know to go to their own coop after just one week?

 

[WaterfowlsPoultry]

My Roo goes inside of the coop but my hens do not when night hits, So what I'll do is put or wait for my Rooster to go in the coop, Drop some seeds next to him and He'll call the hens in to eat. The hens fall for it all the time and usually go rushing inside to eat as much seeds as they can. By the time they finished and turn around to go back outside the coop door is shut and its time for sleep.

 

[Faraday40]

My flock was pretty easy to train. Chickens like routine. They know that they can free range when we’re outside, so as I clean and refill feed and waterers = it’s playtime! When I want them back inside the coop, I use my “ch-ch-chickens” call and shake the treat can. From every corner of the yard, chickens pop out and enthusiastically begin to race towards me.

I’ve also been lucky with nest training. I used golf balls at first but then I found some pretty marble eggs at a thrift store. Yes, my hens literally sit on rocks, but at least they’re too heavy for me to mistake for real eggs.

My only problem hens were White Leghorns. For some reason, every Leghorn I ever owned wanted to be “different”. My first would lay eggs inside our screened room, the second would sneak into the garage every chance she got, and the third liked to hide her eggs in our spare broody coop. They were years apart but each would hop the fence to lay their egg in the most unusual places. A box of newspapers, on a shelf, under a car, in a chair, etc. Although I laugh now, at the time I did not appreciate the daily egg hunt. I broke each of them of the habit by locking her inside the coop until she laid an egg. Then she was allowed outside in the afternoon.

 

[PoppasGrill]

We keep our pullets locked in a coop for about a week, then let them out and they’ve been returning on their own. The only issue we’ve had is when we put the youngers in with the biddies and have to lock them all up for that week. Sometimes the older hens resent this treatment and bully the pullets.
Our Alpha Roo is great about rounding up the girls at dusk and is usually the last one to enter the coop.
Nest boxes are a crapshoot, we have 16 nesting boxes for 80+ hens that freerange , and still have a few that will go into our equipment barn to lay in the sink.
Moving the nests around makes them curious enough to start using them, rearranging the coop and putting extra straw in the boxes for them to dig out also helps them focus on the boxes.

 

[Faraday40]

My flock was pretty easy to train. Chickens like routine. They know that they can free range when we’re outside, so as I clean and refill feed and waterers = it’s playtime! When I want them back inside the coop, I use my “ch-ch-chickens” call and shake the treat can. From every corner of the yard, chickens pop out and enthusiastically begin to race towards me.

I’ve also been lucky with nest training. I used golf balls at first but then I found some pretty marble eggs at a thrift store. Yes, my hens literally sit on rocks, but at least they’re too heavy for me to mistake for real eggs.

My only problem hens were White Leghorns. For some reason, every Leghorn I ever owned wanted to be “different”. My first would lay eggs inside our screened room, the second would sneak into the garage every chance she got, and the third liked to hide her eggs in our spare broody coop. They were years apart but each would hop the fence to lay their egg in the most unusual places. A box of newspapers, on a shelf, under a car, in a chair, etc. Although I laugh now, at the time I did not appreciate the daily egg hunt. I broke each of them of the habit by locking her inside the coop until she laid an egg. Then she was allowed outside in the afternoon.