My lovely black girls, being older & wiser & a little more used to flock habitation, cottoned on after just one day. The Rocks have been a little slower on the uptake.
The oldest one has got it but the baby of the flock is invariably floundering round the outside of the coop, terrified I will scoop her up [which I invariably have to do], & seemingly quite unable to find the door, all the while clucking frantically. She is also something of a loner though the other Rocks will *baby* her, cuddling up to her & allowing her to nuzzle into them while dust bathing. She is my flighty one, @ the bottom of the pecking order & easily frightened, so yes, I keep a weather eye on her also when they are out & about.
As anyone daft enough to have done it knows, herding hens is not easy. You get the stray one in & 3 more squeeze back out ~ so round & round you go. After just once I locked the pen as soon as the majority were in & rounded up my strays one by one with the help of a long fishing rod. All this is necessary as I haven't wanted the girls out if I wasn't around so they have to wait till the MOTH gets home & I wanted them penned & fed before it gets really cold in the afternoons, as it still does.
Today, seeing as it looked like being an eggless day & we were home, I let them out early while I worked around the yard. These are hens that enjoy human company so stay in my vicinity if I'm there. They are good company, invariably interested in everything going on, & happy to scrutch about in the leaf litter or make funny little chupping noises as they sun bath. We had several pleasant hours & I was considering my treat options to lure them home with the least fuss when there was a sudden commotion. My scaredy chook [named Ophelia because she will stand in the water dish], shot towards the coop frantically & every chook in the vicinity followed her. All in & accounted for. No fuss. No bother.
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