[Ricco]

I am looking to get six chickens to go in a large run (20m x 10m).

I will be getting the chickens in the afternoon and then will put them in the coop and keep them shut in overnight.

Any advice on how to get them to return to bed the following night and so on......

Thanks

[Casey76]

Hi Ricco, if you get the hens, and keep them in the coop for 24 hours after arrival, normaly the next day they will put themselves to bed in the coop.

If they dont, you will normaly find them huddled together next to the coop when it gets dark, and you can just pick them up and put them inside.

It normally only takes new chicks 'babies) a couple of days to get the hang of things... grown birds will normally put themselveds away automatically.

[wildy78]

My chickens learnt naturally after shutting them in the first night that, that is where they should return.  They were only 16 weeks old at that stage and learnt very quickly.  If they dont return on the first night try to persuade them with a little corn, after that they will know.  They still amaze me now at how they soon learn to return to the coop when its bed time even when free ranging.

Good luck

[SocksOn]

Ours took themselves to bed and haven't had a problem since (they were about 26weeks old when we got them) not sure if it would have been different had they not been in a run.

[TeaPots]

Nearly all of mine just put themselves to bed. As soon as I get the, or move them to a new pen/coop, I move them at bedtime, shutting them into bed for the night, then let them out just a little bit later than usual, about 9.30/10am. Thats all they need, but I have 1 Arrie cross who likes to roost in the tree, and a gorgeous Poland cockerel who always likes to keep vigil over his girls by sleeping on top of the coop. I always lift them gently and put them to  bed, they dont mind, but they ALWAYS roost there.

I have a friend who rings a bell and throws some corn into the coop/shed, and her girls rush into the shed. She has over 100 freeranging around her farm, and sometimes needs to lock them up a bit earlier. They are now trained to run into bed whenever she rings the bell. They are SO clever eh?

[Ricco]

Many thanks to you all! 

So much helpful advice.

I will let you know how it goes.........

[lesleyann]

I have 6 ex-battys, they didn't want to go to bed at all. I was told to put a torch in the coop, they went to bed! Did that for a few days and they got the hang of it, well cept gladys who liked me to put her in!