[tomroyall]

Hi I'm new to keeping chickens and a little worried we bought some day old chicks about 10 weeks ago and bought them a little coop second hand!! we had the chickens in the house and run and was all good but they have grown to big so we bought a chicken house so they could go free range I erected a tempory fence so they are safe and don't walk off so they get use to there new home but non of them are sleeping inside! they are all sleeping in the corner of there run! Help how do I get them to sleep in the house!

[trish25158]

Hi Tom, you need to go out when sleeping and put them in their coop. It may take a couple of nights but they'll soon learn . Good luck 

[tomroyall]

Is it that simple I have been doing that for the last couple of nights! I will carry on and hope they get the idea!  Thank you T

[rachelr]

  I have been trying for about ten days to get mine to go to bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At 6 weeks I put them in the outside shed with access to the garden and every night all i did was shoo them to bed at half 9 ish. Now ten weeks old they have the run of the garden and will NOT go to bed. I am thinking of getting a sheep dog cos with 12 of them by the time i have some almost in the shed the others have run off to the bushes.

treats/corn/bribery and all they do is peck me!!!!!!! we have given them all asbos and will be arranging for ankle bracelet and no parole for the next two weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ps some of joyfuls sleep in the trees so dont worry too much unless you have a fox in the neighbourhood.

[themagicaltoad1]

Check the coop for red mite, especially if it was a second hand coop, they might be put off going in if they're being bitten at night. You could also try hanging a torch inside, they will be attracted to the light as it gets dark.

[ANHBUC]

I have been trying for about ten days to get mine to go to bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At 6 weeks I put them in the outside shed with access to the garden and every night all i did was shoo them to bed at half 9 ish. Now ten weeks old they have the run of the garden and will NOT go to bed. I am thinking of getting a sheep dog cos with 12 of them by the time i have some almost in the shed the others have run off to the bushes.

treats/corn/bribery and all they do is peck me!!!!!!! we have given them all asbos and will be arranging for ankle bracelet and no parole for the next two weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ps some of joyfuls sleep in the trees so dont worry too much unless you have a fox in the neighbourhood.

They obviously don't think that you are the boss, bit like dogs who see themselves as higher ranking in the pack.  Try using your fingers to make pecking motions at them to establish yourself as top of the pecking order.  It worked for us!