How to Get Free-Range Chickens to Roost in the Evening

Reader Contribution by Vicki Mattern
Published on February 21, 2013
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I’d like to let my hens range freely this year, but how do I get them to return to the coop each evening?

After chickens have become accustomed to roosting in their coop, they will naturally return to their roosts at dusk. But if you want your free-range chickens to return to the coop whenever you want to close them in, use a bit of scratch grain or kitchen scraps to teach them to follow you to the coop as you call them. When they’ve returned to the coop, toss the treats inside as a reward, then secure the door. In no time at all, your hens will respond whenever you call them, whether it’s midday or dusk.

— Vicki Mattern, Contributing Editor

Above: After ranging freely all day, chickens will naturally return to their roost at dusk.

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