Worse then herding cats!!

[nes]

I try to lead my chicks out in the afternoon for a little sunshine and foraging, but they are just not buying into the idea!!

The ducks are easy, they are pretty tame so I just pick them up and take them out side, but the BPRs/Cochins and now turkeys are just don't think outside is a place they want to be

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Suggestions?
They are all between the ages of 3 and 4 weeks now, should I just wait until they get older and decide they want to go out for themselves?

(It's a huge coop, so while I try to 'herd' them out, there is just too much space to run away from me.)

-Outsmarted by chickens.

 

[ccshambhala]

I always let mine go out as they feel comfortable - that way they learn the area to and from the coop. The better they know the way to safety the better they can get there!

 

[coloradochick]

They'll come out when they feel comfortable. Is there anyway you can leave the door open so they can go at their own pace?

 

[nes]

Quote:
The door is open 7am - 8pm

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I even installed a little ramp (we tried a step, but they didn't like that) for the wee little guys to go up & down, since it's a 1' drop to keep the rodents out.

 

[confusedturtle]

How do they know to go back inside later on? I let mine out for an hour or two at a time twice a day but Im sure that if I didn't pick them up and put them back inside they would never go. I also have dogs who share the yard though, so I have to let chickens & dogs out at different times so nobody gets hurt. I was told to lead them around by dropping food or treats but mine dont go for it, they eat what they want then jumping in my raised garden beds and look for bugs

 

[Stacykins]

I just open up my coops pop door (started at six weeks w/my chicks) and let them and do their thing. It IS hard to round them in the evening to put them back. I use a stick to aid my herding. They allow me to pick them up, but if I put one inside through the pop door, five seconds later the chick is back out in the grass D: So I kind of use the stick to corral them all towards the pop door. There are always a few stragglers, but once most go in, I close the pop door, pick up the stragglers, and put them in the people door (and keep chicks from escaping at the same time!).

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Quote:
I have been all but never successful in herding them back in before dusk. I just let them forage for an hour and they go in on their own at dusk.....

 

[janinepeters]

I have always trained my chickens to come when called by rewarding them with a treat (scratch grains mixed with birdseed). It takes 2 weeks maximum to do this. However, they have to be out at least a couple of hours to work up an appetite for the treat. Otherwise, they won't be motivated to come. I start yelling "CHICK-CHICK-CHICKEN", sprinkle the treat in the run/coop, they all come running in, and I shut the door.

 

[bitbythechick]

I have WHAT in my yard? :

Quote:
I have been all but never successful in herding them back in before dusk. I just let them forage for an hour and they go in on their own at dusk.....

I have mine all trained to come when I call chicken snacks, after which I throw scratch or horse grain on the floor of the coop and everyone goes in. The trick is to not lock them in everytime and feed them "snacks" everyday or so and they will come! It just takes conditioning and lots of it lol! my flock follows me around the barn yard now and the boarders find it quite a sight!​

 

[Tenmore]

Mine moved from brooder to coop at about 5 weeks to 6 weeks.. Prior to that I took them out a couple times in the back yard in a welded wire fence circle and let them forage on the grass. When they moved to the coop I kept them locked in the coop for about 3 to 5 days and than just opened the doo and let then figure it out. Food and water in the coop 24 7 they all figured it out real quick about 1 hour before dark they would start moving in on their own. since than I ve never had to put them in at night. Even when their out of the run they all find their way back to the coop and roosts way before it gets dark. If their out in the yard it takes alittle more to round them up but usually scratch or other treats in the run will do the trick. just give them time at 3 to 4 weeks mine were still timed but it didnt take long now they go every where.....Their even testing the limits with my bird dog thats kept close bye

dumb birds....Just give them time they will figure it out