For a while we had trouble keeping our chickens out of the trees. Every evening when I would go outside to put them up for the night I would find them roosting high in the branches above their coop.

We’d have to get a rake, reach up there and get them to climb onto it. Then we’d lower them down and put them back into their coop. Well, this got old really quick. How could we keep them out of the trees? We don’t want to clip their wings, in case they need to flee from a predator.

Well, I’m proud to say that I figured out a solution. Every morning I let them out to free range, but I don’t fill up their feed containers. I  let them peck and scratch all day long. Then around 6pm I go out to their coop and fill their feed container up. When the chickens see me coming, and hear that feed in the tin container, they all come running and are more than willing to go back into their coop to eat.

I simply shut the door and go in for the night. Problem solved! And since there are only 3 of the original 6 left, I can now sleep at night knowing that they are safe and sound in their coop.