Coop Training Your Chickens

Chickens and chicken coop

When raising farmyard poultry, it is essential that they have a safe space that they can call their own. For the majority of chickens, this is their coop. After all, the coop protects them from outside predators while also sheltering them from the elements. Even free-range chickens retreat to their coops in the evening hours, in inclement weather, or if they feel they are in danger.

However, you must teach your chickens that their coop is their home. To do this, many chicken-keepers employ a method of behavior modification known as coop training. This training process uses your chickens’ natural instincts to develop a level of comfort and familiarity with their surroundings. 

Benefits of Coop Training

You may be wondering, “why should I coop train my chickens?” The fact is, the benefits are numerous. Once your chickens are comfortable with the coop, they will instinctively return to the coop at night or in case of danger, such as a predator attack. It will also encourage your chickens to lay their eggs in the nesting boxes, instead of building a clutch somewhere in your yard.

Additionally, coop training makes your daily evening chicken-keeping routine much more manageable. Once properly acclimated, your chickens will want to roost in the coop instead of finding a place to stay in a tree, on top of a shed, or on a fence. Coop training helps your chickens to understand that their coop is their place of safety, so they return to it each evening. 

How to Coop Train Your Chickens

Coop training your young birds most often begins when you introduce them into your flock, once they’re fully feathered and no longer reliant on a heat lamp. Coop training at this point teaches your birds to feel secure in the coop, while also helping them realize the function of the roosts and the nesting boxes.

Begin the process by ensuring that your coop is safe and comfortable. Your coop should be watertight, with adequate ventilation and absorbent bedding. Your coop will also need roosts for your birds to rest on. If you are raising chicks, you may not need nesting boxes immediately; in fact, many experts suggest closing the nesting boxes until your pullets begin to lay eggs so that they do not learn to sleep in the boxes. If you have questions regarding optimal coop set-up and construction, we encourage you to refer to our blog post, Home Sweet Home: Choosing the Best Chicken Coop for Your Flock.

For the first week that your chicks or young chickens are in the coop, you will want to keep them confined to the coop with food, water, and grit. If they are full-grown, each chicken must have at least three square feet of space to avoid conflicts and prevent behavioral issues such as cannibalism. For chicks, you may want to raise them in a box or crate within the coop so that they stay safely contained as they mature. Initially, they will need a heat lamp to stay warm, but this can be removed as soon as they have feathers as it may become a fire hazard. You can learn more about chick raising on our blog post, Essentials for Raising Chicks, Poults, and Keets.

For older chickens, this time will encourage them to establish a pecking order and become comfortable with the roosts. You will notice, over time, that chickens are creatures of habit and will begin to roost in the same location each evening. When you start to observe this natural phenomenon, you will know that the coop is beginning to feel like home for your flock. 

Once your older chickens have become accustomed to the coop, or your young chicks have reached three months of age, they can now be allowed into the run. Use this time to get your chicken into a routine, encouraging them to leave the coop in the morning (if the weather is good) and enter to coop again at dusk. It may take a few tries (and maybe even some bribery with chicken treats!), but you must teach the chickens to return to the coop every night. Otherwise, they may learn to roost under the coop, on the coop, or in a tree.

After a few weeks of this training (or after your pullets have begun to lay eggs), you have a critical decision to make—whether or not to free-range your birds. When deciding if you are going to free-range your flock, you should consider the number of predators in your immediate area, as well as the location of the road in relation to your home, potential crop damage, and your neighbors’ opinions about chickens. Free-range chickens tend to be happier and healthier chickens; however, they also face more significant dangers daily and have a shorter life expectancy. Choosing to free-range your chickens is a personal choice, and one may not work for everyone.

If you decide to free-range your flock, you can begin letting them roam after a few weeks of being confined to the run. For the first few days, try to keep an eye on them. Generally, they will want to stay near the coop because they think of it as their “home base.” Initially, you may want to encourage them to move into the coop before dusk to prevent them from selecting a new temporary (and potentially unsafe) roost for the evening. It is helpful to count your chickens each evening to make sure they are all accounted for.

Introducing New Chicks to the Coop

Sometimes, you will want to introduce chicks to an already established coop, this will require a slightly different approach. You will want to wait until your chicks are at least six weeks old, although 10-12 weeks old is preferred (you will always want to introduce at least three chicks to the flock at any time so that the younger members will have a “buddy”). By raising your new chicks away from your flock, you can also quarantine them and confirm that they are healthy and have no diseases. Chickens are extremely territorial, so it is essential that the chicks are old enough to defend themselves and that you carefully supervise the introduction.

Begin by placing the chicks in a crate or dog carrier and placing it outside the chicken run. This allows your hens to acclimate to the sight and smell of the chicks with no possibility of danger. This transition period is very important and will make the introduction much less dramatic.

After a few days of this slow integration, moving the crate as close as possible to the run, it is time to make your move. Many chicken keepers from past generations suggest a sleath after dark mission, placing the chicks in the coop after the chickens have roosted for the night. However, this often results in fights in the morning. Instead, it is now suggested that you introduce chicks to your existing flock outside in either the run or free ranging.

First, let the chicks outside in the run and allow them to become acclimated and comfortable with the area. Then, open the coop door and allow your flock outside. Introducing chickens to their new flockmates outside gives them a better opportunity to co-mingle without impeding on one another’s personal space. Typically it is best to feed them with excess feeders during this point so that there is no competition for food. Carefully supervise your birds during this process, there may be some scuffles but try not to let the older chickens beat up the chicks.

Depending on the success of the outdoor introduction, you may allow the chicks into the coop for the evening or you may choose to wrangle them back into a crate for the night. It is important that all members of the flock are completely comfortable with one another before you move them to a more confined area, such as the coop.

You may notice that the success of the introduction has a lot to do with the various breeds of chickens in your flock. Traditionally, Rhode Island Reds and Silkies are quite territorial and take an extended period of time to warm up to the new members of the flock. Alternatively, Orpingtons are often more laid-back and welcoming to newcomers. No matter what breed(s) of chickens you own, a slow and steady introduction will be the most successful.

Whether you decide to free-range your chickens or keep them primarily in their run, coop training your flock will help your chickens to feel safe and comfortable in their coop. Not only does it make your birds feel more secure, but it also makes it easier for you, the chicken keeper!

Coop training your flock will help to keep them safe, while also making it easier for you to care for them on a daily basis. Spending time on this crucial process will make for happy chickens (and happy chicken keepers!). If you have any questions regarding the coop training process or would like assistance making your poultry product purchases, we encourage you to speak to a member of your friendly and highly-trained sales staff. Many of us are chickens owners ourselves and have hands-on experience raising birds for eggs, meat, and pleasure.

Leave a Comment