Training chickens to go in at night...

[WVDoug]

We are having a similar problem. Our girls are almost 7 weeks old, and this week we started letting them in the run during the day. We have an automatic coop door that opens at dawn and closes at dusk, so far all week we have been having to go out there after the door closes and chase down all 10 of them and place them in the coop. The thing is, we brooded (is that even the right word?) them in the coop since we had it set up before we got them and it was just easier. So they have been in the coop for 6 weeks, but once the door opens in the morning they run out and dont go back in until we put them in. Its been close to 90 during the day and around 65-70 at night so we took the heat lamp out when we started letting them outside during the day. We got the automatic door so we did not have to go out and put them up every night, in case we were out of town for the weekend or whatever. So how do I get them to go in the coop before the door closes and they are stuck in the run all night?

I would disable the photosensor and close the door manually after the birds are in.
Doors that close according to the level of light are inferior to timer activated doors because they can be fooled by cloudy/stormy weather. A timer activated door has to have the setting adjusted, but you KNOW when it will open and close and can monitor it more readily.

 

[HJSmith]

When you gather your chicks after the door has closed, do they appear to be bedded down, or are they still roaming around? I also have an automatic door. The chicks have been in their coop/run for weeks already with successful bedding down at night in the right place. But now that they are allowed to free range all day, they are bedding down outside instead of going in the coop. If your issue is like mine, where they are trying to sleep in the wrong place, you might try getting them into the run (or making a temporary one if your coop has no run - maybe just use netting) before dawn, so their choices of where to sleep are limited. This is what I am going to try, as they don't get excited about treats, don't seem to be helped by having a light in the coop to lead them in, and a week of just putting them in the coop has not helped. I am hoping limiting their bed place options before dusk will help them get trained. If it works for me, I will let you know.

They are actually in a run we attached to the coop during the day right now. But when we go out there they do look like they are bedded down usually in the corner of the run closest to the coop door. Maybe because they were in there for so long they are now just being stubborn

 

[Junibutt]

When my chicks/chicken are being un-cooperative, I just use a broom to herd them. They run at the first sight of it to find a hiding place which is, of course the coop.

 

[mjett5578]

no i do not

 

[Nettienoo]

Hello I joined the group yesterday and was having same problem as you getting the ladies to go to bed well I tried the light idea tonight for the fist time and it WORKED so thank you so stress free tonight

 

[dwgov]

I have found that if I leave them inside the coop for a couple days. They get to feel comfortable in there and when they venture out in the run they feel much more relaxed to go in. It usually works pretty good for the night as well. Mine always follow each other. So if 1 or 2 head in, the rest follow. Good Luck!

 

[ldawntaylor]

Hi,

I work the afternoon/evening shift so it is dusk when I get home or already dark depending on the season. But, I guess I've been fortunate on the coming in at night bit.

I do not leave the feed out all day. The pen the chickens are in has ample green food and bugs in abundance. They are not really free range but next best thing. Anyway, since I do not leave the pellet feed free choice, the chickens come running as soon as they hear me opening the door to the feed bin.

I'm afraid my "milk room" is turning into the chickens "night pen". It is working fairly well. I get a bit of distraction while I am milking, my does are getting accustomed to the birds and their opinion seems to be the one that matters with the herd. The only downside is that one of the birds is a very curious individual. She keeps pecking at my jeans. Tonight she kept going after some glittery stuff on my shirt. Maybe she thought they were bugs. (note to self only PLAIN t-shirts and jeans at chore time).


Lisa

 

[Reurra]

Food is a huge incentive. I trained my girls that dusk is when the scratch can comes out. I would rattle the can, walk into the coop and tos scratch into the shavings. This makes them hunt for it. While their backs are turned, the door gets shut Now they think that dusk is feeding time and are waiting for me in the coop each evening

Oh, I forgot to mention, my girls LOVE canned corn. For the first few days i used this and they went buggo for the corn.

 

[shortgrass]

We feed ours in a red bin. They can see bright colors. Every time they see red they will follow us. I had a red cup and they followed me. It's about training. My chickens free range but morning and night we take them out and feed them a little grain and then again at night to get them in. If they are where I don't want them I go out with something red to round them up. It is very helpful and I learned about it on BYC last yr when they were just chicks. Good luck.

Red! Mine LOVE red too...red cups red coffee can for scratch, red water base...they come running when they see a red cup in my hand...(albeit a little mad when the cup goes elsewhere lol)... I had a small section of chicken wire and made a kind of 'hoop' out of it to make it easier to herd them..and a light in the corner helped when they were scared of big black hole coop ... I do still have my Ancona's that try to roost in the trees but I wait a little longer until everyone else gets settled and they go in on their own. They are the low end of the pecking order so they don't like to go in just to get pecked on the head. They wait .... My littles are a little more defiant about going in but they lay in a heap in front of the door and I shoo them in with my foot; they become pretty smart after a few days of experience.

 

[mtarbox20]

My chickens would run into a burning building if I threw some dried meal worms in there.

You got a laugh out of me this morning! Mine would, too!