Training to come in at night

[HomesteadNowhere]

How do you train chickens to go back in the coop or tractor at night? I'm planning to build a chickshaw and other than rounding them up by hand I'm a little worried about how well they'll learn to get locked up in the evening.
I was thinking about a little feed in the evening to entice them in. If I can start to train them to be interested in me coming with feed as chicks.
Thanks!

 

[JaeG]

Shut them in the coop for at least a few days to home them to that space. I use food to get mine in at night but there's always a few that want to stay out late.

 

[aart]

Shut them in the coop for at least a few days

Maybe longer, depending on where they live now.
They should go back to where they are used to roosting.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

Thanks all! This is young chickens moving outside so I guess I'll temporarily put feed and water in it before letting them out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I can't remember if you plan on putting any kind of fencing or netting around that Chicksaw, which is a very mobile tractor. I don't know how often you'll be moving it either, hopefully not a lot at first.

I've found with my elevated grow-out coop getting the chicks to return to the coop at night to sleep by housing them in the coop for a week or more is pretty much overrated. If I move them to a ground level coop it's easier. What typically happens with mine is that they go to sleep under the door that leads back to the coop. I have a run around mine so they can't go too far.

I would house them in that Chicksaw for a week before I let them out. Then I'd open the pop door after a week and let them decide when to hit the ground. Some of my broods are all on the ground within 15 minutes, some may be into their 3rd day before the first one hits the ground. But when one does the rest soon follow.

You may be lucky and they all decide to return inside that chicksaw to sleep. If they don't I'd expect them to go to sleep under the pop door. If they do that you need to put them inside each night until they learn to go in on their own.

They aren't usually that hard to catch after dark as long as it is dark. If you have a security light out there or maybe a clear moonlit night so it's not that dark they may be harder. In either case a fence around them so they can't go too far until they learn to put themselves to bed inside just might be a good thing.

I also think training them to come to you when call them is a good idea in any case. Putting a treat in a special bucket, rattling that bucket as you feed them, and calling out something like "here, chicky, chicky" just might be valuable.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

Thanks ridgerunner I do plan to use netting around it. I'm not going to move it alot at first because the chicks won't disturb it as quickly and to make sure they are trained to go into it at night.

 

[Byrd gal]

I can't whistle worth a darn so I use a dog clicker and mealworms although the dogs always come too

 

[Pghelp]

Mealworms are the ultimate bribe here. I keep them in a small plastic former ice cream container. They learn quickly they make a distinctive noise when shaken. Even if they're having a grand time outside, they come running when I call chick, chick and shake the container.

 

[edickson]

I have a related question - I have 4 RIRs who all have willingly gone into their coop regularly at sun down for over 6 months. Now I have one who has decided she wants to stay out in the run and not join the others in the coop. For a couple of night, I climbed into the run to physically pick her up and put her into the coop, but last night decided to see what she did on her own. She stayed out all night and all the girls joined her outside when we opened the coop. Has never done it before. Run is enclosed and safe, it's in the 40/50s right now at night. Do you all have any hens that just want to sleep outside? No worries?

 

[Pghelp]

I have a related question - I have 4 RIRs who all have willingly gone into their coop regularly at sun down for over 6 months. Now I have one who has decided she wants to stay out in the run and not join the others in the coop. For a couple of night, I climbed into the run to physically pick her up and put her into the coop, but last night decided to see what she did on her own. She stayed out all night and all the girls joined her outside when we opened the coop. Has never done it before. Run is enclosed and safe, it's in the 40/50s right now at night. Do you all have any hens that just want to sleep outside? No worries?

Sometimes it has to do with flock dynamics. I essentially had 2 combined flocks, our 2 old girls and the youngsters. Now we only have the one old girl. The first couple of nights I shut her in with the young ones. Now she willingly goes to bed with them but she won't sleep on the roost with them. She finds her own dark corner to sleep alone but near them. I wouldn't feel comfortable with one sleeping outside especially in the winter but your singleton for whatever reason may not feel accepted by the others. See if you can arrange a secure place for her to sleep inside but somewhat separate from the others. That's what is working for us now!