Training chickens to go in at night...

[B-Goock]

I just put a low voltage light in my brooder coop because I've been doing the same thing Mandi. 6 EE's and only two of them have figured out how to go inside. They wouldn't go up the walk board and would pile up in a corner of the run. Tonight was the first night with the light so we'll see how it goes tomorrow.

The low voltage light system I put in when I replaced my house walk lights so the chickens got the old system. Pretty nice to have walk lights going to the coop.

 

[11mini]

Perhaps meal worms will be more appealing!

At the feed store they call dried meal worms "Chicken Crack". Mine go absolutely nuts for them.

 

[Bird Fever]

Crack? lol I'm heading down to my local pusher right now. I got 7 fiends that need a fix.

 

[B-Goock]

They all go in the coop at night now. I placed the light so they could see it from the walk board. Chickens .....afraid of the dark. ha ha

 

[chicchic25]

Thanks for all the suggestions!! I really appreciate it.

So far my silly chickens aren't too interested in treats -- though I will have to try some dried meal worms. I've only given them leftover produce scraps and stuff from the kitchen so far, and when I toss that to them, it takes them about 10 minutes of staring at it before one even tries it! (They crack me up.) Perhaps meal worms will be more appealing!

The solar light is an interesting idea too! I can understand not wanting to go into a dark scary coop haha. I will give it a shot.

We were able to shut ours in the coop for a few days and that seemed to really do the trick. I understand that's not an option you have right now though. Maybe shaking a container of feed / meal worms to get their attention will make them want to investigate the noise ?? Our girls are getting a bad habit of literally lining up on the ramp going to the coop at what I feel is way to early of the evening (usually 6-7 pm each night). The sun is still out for goodness sake!

LOL I try to make them hold off until it is at least dusk but they all stare at me with that pitiful look of " Hey woman.. get over here and open this door!!!!" So I cave and open the door.

Good luck with your babies, they are certainly a joy to watch and care for!

 

[mandi224]

The light and dried meal worms definitely helped!! By day 4, my girls were going in the coop on their own! Hooray!

 

[chicdad]

I guess that I have been lucky with mine. It only took 2 days for them to figure out when it was time to go in. I would open the door to the coop at a specific time and put them in. After a couple of times of this they knew to go in at that time. I was preoccupied yesterday and lost track of time and when I went to put them in they had already gone in. I think the key to it is repetitive times.

 

[ambersocks]

I had this problem last year with my girls; they were about 7 weeks then and they are my first chickens. They are so funny, aren't they?
I was trying to shoo them in at dusk, too. I did this for maybe a week, unsuccessfully, before someone said it had to be DARK, not dusk. So the next night I waited until fully dark to go out and check. Sure enough, they were in the coop.
I did also put in a lower roost and steps to get to it (not sure if the steps were necessary, but whatever!), because I discovered they couldn't fly up to the taller roost yet.
And my girls will have nothing to do with mealworms. I got a bag because I heard hens go crazy for them, threw a handful in the run and was rewarded with fear and panic. The only things they love are kale (only kale...not lettuce, cabbage, or similar), and sunflower seeds.
Good luck! Chickens are particular sometimes, but that's just part of their charm. Right? Right?

 

[Cam14117]

Chicchick, Why do your chickens have to wait until you open the door? They should be able to go in anytime they want,,,, to lay, to hide, to catch up on a good book.:/

 

[Oksana Walborn]

Hello, I just registered here today. My step son brought home 5 baby chicks, when they were ready to go live in the coop, I was too worried about predators to let them out of it for a few days, when my husband improved our fencing, I let them out free range in the yard, when they're ready to go to sleep, they go in by themselves.
Actually now they don't sleep in the coop because I blocked the access to laying boxes (they liked to huddle in them), so they boycotted me and sleep on top of the coop now ! Lol !