How To Get The Chickens Back In Their House

A chicken's house is their home. They love it. They feel safe there because chickens by nature, are, well, chicken. When you let them out they'll wander around and do all the good stuff they like to do: eat bugs & weeds - fertilizing as they go, follow you around because you're the greatest thing in the world to them, take dust baths, run around stretching their wings and legs. They tend to have silly personalities and are great fun to watch. Hanging out with them is very relaxing. Generally they won't go far from their house, because again, it's a safety thing.

As soon as it dusk, they'll instinctively go back into their home. Hens are not party animals. Somehow they know that the bad guys come out at night. They like to roost. The higher the better. So, it's a nightly ritual - the chickens go home to roost. It's essential to close them up securely for the night because they are very vulnerable to predators. A chicken has no defense and will freak out when scared and do the very most impractical thing - like run to a corner rather than get up high.

If it's not bedtime it's usually pretty easy to bribe them back into their house with food. Even if it's the same food that they already have in their house. Mine will usually come when I call and follow me to the house because they're confident that something wonderful happens whenever I summon them.

Silly chickens!