Training chickens to go inside their house to roost?

littlelamb0308

In the Brooder
Jul 12, 2021
11
8
16
We have a shed for our chickens to sleep in with lots of roosting bars and then they have their outside run. 4 out of 8 of the chickens aren’t taking themselves inside to roost once the sun falls.
Tonight I went down to shut them in and we very narrowly missed the fox getting inside our coop. The 4 chickens were stood in the near dark and rain and the fox has jumped on top of our coop and bowed in the mesh. They made a hole so any more minutes later and the fox would have been inside.
How can I get the four chickens to follow the other four inside the shed to go roost? They have come from a barn where they didn’t go in to roost.
 
Originally I leave the chicks in their coop for a few days with water and feed. When I first open their pop door they are hesitant to go out but eventually wait for me to open the pop door. I usually feed the youngsters in the evenings. I do have nightlights in the coops. They go in to eat. When they are old enough to go out to the outer coops they always have food available and go in their coop at night. Predator proof well. The fox knows you have birds and will lurk looking for a way and opportunity to get one. My coop and run are well fortified and even though I see fox on my cameras most nights they haven't had a chicken dinner in a long time. I also have electric wires around my coops and pens and when touched will hurt. I want them to hurt so they will not try again. Here they mostly roam at night. Good luck...
Last night's visitor.
IMAG0002 (2) 01.jpg
 
I had to add a 40 watt light bulb near the floor of the coop so it would light up the ramp and help my pullets find their way in after dark. If they see its getting dark sometimes they'll run inside and sometimes they won't. Treats motivates them. My coop was their brooder so they were locked up for weeks inside until the weather was warm and they were feathered out good .Until I get an electric fence around the run mine will be locked up in the coop at night. My coops got planters all around it and concrete blocks under the run itself.Anything digging underneath would have to dig about 2 feet underneath to get inside the run.The coops raised off the ground .
 

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