[dawnie77]

i have a coop with an attached run, i have 4 chicks aprox 6 weeks ish, i cant leave them in the coop all day as i think it will get to warm, for a week now i have to get inside the run which i might add is a tight squeeze for me lol and pick them up and put them inside the coop, i left them out till about 10 tonight hoping they might go in but they all snuggled up in the corner. they run out when i let them out in the morning and i have seen them pop in and out during the day but just aint quite got the going to bed bit.
ive tried shaking the mealworm tub but that aint shifting them either, i end up with my 4 14 week hen running out the shed for sum instead lol
any other ideas to say me kneeling in poop everynight lol

[storme37]

its not just me with the bed time nightmare lol good luck if i solve mine i will tell you how i did it lol

[ANHBUC]

Having seen your set up I would recommend you get an electric fencing kit, if budget permits.  You can get solar or battery powered if you have no mains electric.  The fence should be enough protection for them overnight and let them put themselves to bed.   When the nights are darker you can close their coops for the night so they keep warm.  You can move the fencing as and when needed.

[ManicMum]

Work at getting them used to a treat tin or pot that rattles when there's grain in it!  Mine come running if they see the pot, and if I need to get them into the run, a good shake & rattle fetches them from all corners of the garden.

If I needed to put them to bed early (& 4 or 5 does seem quite early at this time of year), I'd attract them with the rattling grain pot, then toss some into the coop and watch them playing who can get in first!

Alternatively, I'd go with the suggestion of electric fencing, then they can work to their body clocks.  I have electric fence round my run and it took the dogs 2 or 3 days to decide chickens weren't very interesting.

Here's a copy of a write up about electric fences: I've seen it elsewhere, but only copied it from one source!
"Study on Fox predation on Lesser Tern Colony,
"Tracks and scats of the foxes were first noticed near the colony on 28th. May, and almost daily thereafter. On 18, 19, and 20th. June, observers recorded that the incubating terns seemed "skittish, nervous and uneasy." This phenomenon was first thought to be associated with hatching but no chicks were noted. Nest numbers decreased from 138 to 129 on 20th. June, to 61 on 22nd. June. By 23rd. June only 45 tern nests remained. Fox tracks crisscrossed the colony.
On 24th. June the electric fence was erected. On 25th. June we noted a slight increase to 48 nests; a week later, 2nd. July, we counted 60 nests, and by 6th. July, 85 nests. Fresh fox tracks were seen near the colony, but they never came closer than 10 ft to the electric fence, no tracks were found in the trial area. New nests outside the fence were consistently taken by the Foxes-none survived." At the end of the trial the fence was turned off and for over two weeks the tracks never crossed it.
Unfortunately due to fox predation they suffered heavy losses and only one young fledged. The following year an electric fence was erected around the nesting site and this proved extremely effective at excluding foxes, so that 31 pairs reared a record 29 young. "

[Chrysalis]

Ours are staying out on a high roost, though the run is fully enclosed.  The go inside to lay eggs and will also go in for corn and treats if the tin comes out!  We have six girls now.  Only one goes in at night and the other five mooch around till late and squeeze together on a branch.  I reckon they'll all go in when they're cold!  Lucky Mr Fox can't get at 'em! 
Hope you can find a solution soon 

[Junie]

With ours, We shout Bo-bos and knock against their goodie tin, when we want them to go back, or neighbour shouts pop-pop and they come running, he doesn't seem to bribe them though, so don't know how he does it!

It takes a week but they soon get the tin idea, esp if you do it without letting them out the first couple of times.

[storme37]

i solved it guys get a landing net lol someone did this when i went to buy a legbar they just scooped up the chicken and poped it in my pet box. i went out and bought a landing net takes no time to catch them now infact i feel they are giving up running away and may soon just let me pick them up.

[ANHBUC]

I wonder if that would be too stressful for them on a daily basis.  Sure someone with loads of experience will advise you on this.

[storme37]

to be honest i only used it a couple of times it got to be better stress wise than chasing them around the land was lol its not a permanent solution as when i get my electric fence they can put them self to bed i wont worry about it then

[ANHBUC]

  Great, that would be loads easier and piece of mind as well.  Would hate you to loose any of your flock due to stress related illness.

[storme37]

to my mind 2 mins with the net is alot less stress than an evening with mr fox would be but i will be happier when iv woven electric wire into the perimeter fencing that should mean i just go feed and water and change them they can do what they like the rest of the time. hopefully they may feel like laying then lol

[ANHBUC]

You can get loads of advice on here about your electric fencing.  Might be a problem if it earths out on bushes etc that it might come into cantact with.  Hillfooter will probably be the best person to ask for advice from what I have read on electric fencing pitfalls.

[storme37]

cool thanks i can always run the fence on stakes within the fencing if i have to but i love the idea of a perm fixture within the wire fencing i would try that 1st.

[daisy1990]

it is useful to have fencing that you can move if possible.  This lets you rest or re-seed the grass (the hens will dig it up in double quick time!)  You will also need to keep the grass short under the fence as it will short otherwise and the easiest way to do this is to move the fence.  We have used mesh fencing and have attached it to a gate at one end (to allow easy access in and out) but the rest we move every four weeks or so.

[dawnie77]

wel ive now got it sussed to storme, they go in on there own now and if it is piddling down then i go out with a plastic cup and they just cum in running, new they would get there in the end lol