Chickens are creatures of habit, totally. Once they get into a habit of sleeping in a certain place they’ll go there no matter what. If you want them to sleep in the coop then you need to catch them every evening, place them in the coop and keep them there with a closed door until it becomes a habit.
How Do I Train Chickens to Return to Their Coop at Night?
- Once your coop has been assembled, add everything your flock will need – bedding, food, and drinking water. Check that inside the coop is a suitable temperature as your chickens will be in there for an extended period.
- Put your chickens inside the coop and close the door. Leave them inside for 1 week. This period gets them used to the coop and teaches them that it is their new home.
- When you replace their food and water throughout the week, make sure the chickens are not able to escape out the coop door.
- After 1 week, open the coop door late in the afternoon. Allow the chickens to wander out in their own time and free range in your yard. Leave the door open.
- As dusk falls and it begins to get dark, watch your chickens begin to naturally wander back to their coop for the night. This shows your chickens have accepted the hen house as their home.
You can now let the chickens out each morning and they should naturally go in the coop at night time.
Anyone keeping chickens knows that hens thrive on routine. Their nervous nature means they can easily become stressed if their daily habits are changed.
To help your flock feel safe in their coop, always let them out at the same time every morning.
If you won’t always be able to do that, you could install a high quality automatic door which will let all your chickens out at the same time each day.
Need Help Getting Your Chickens to Return to their Coop at Night?
Have you ever had chickens that just won’t go into their coop?
This can be very frustrating for chicken keepers. In this post, we’ll explore the most common reasons why chickens may refuse to go into their coop and then give tips on how to overcome this. We will also outline how to first train chickens to return to the coop
How to Train Young Chickens to Roost | Useful Knowledge
FAQ
How do you train a chicken to roost?
At what age do chickens learn to roost?
Will chickens naturally go in coop at night?
Why won’t my chickens use the roost?
Is there a way to teach chickens to roost inside the coop?
There is a way to teach chickens to roost inside the coop- I refer to it as Coop Training. Coop Training can be done with chickens of any age but the younger, the better. It is far easier to teach good habits from the beginning than it is to try to break bad habits later. For this reason, I always Coop Train young and new flock members.
Do chickens roost in a coop?
If so, you should do a thorough cleaning. Often, ammonia fumes are stronger over a roost than in other parts of the coop. Take a good look at your roosting perches and see if you can clean them to encourage your chickens to roost there. Sometimes chickens will roost in strange places because they are bothered by mites.
Do chickens roost?
Roosting is an instinctive behavior, but some chickens may need to be trained to use a roost, depending on their history. Younger chickens, in particular, may take some time to get used to the perch if they’ve never had one before.
How do you know if a chicken is ready to roost?
Chickens have a natural internal clock that tells them when it is time to go to bed for the night. If you go to the coop and there is still some daylight, they are probably not ready to roost. Try going out a little later (yes, you will need a flashlight or light in the coop). Alternatively, you can install an automatic coop door opener.