Hi Pollipazza,
I need to read more of the previous posts first before I can give a better advice/comment. I will tell you a bit about my bantams so maybe you find some good ideas in it.
Did you make a larger run by now so the confined space is larger now? They do need more space if you lock them in!
For starters
Bribing them before dusk and lock them up in the coop/run is very good. I needed to do this for 6 weeks before the tree-huggers finally gave up to sleep in the tree.
My run is rather large and covered with strong cat netting so they are safe in it and don’t need to free range daily. In general I keep them in mornings. They do free range without supervision most of the time. I lost a few over the years but they are so happy and healthy free ranging that I prefer this combination. Better than keeping them in jail whole day. If I let them free range whole day they wonder off too far.
If the garden has bushes, trees and other spaces to hide or flight on/in the bantams know how to escape. I would trust them during the day bc they know how to escape from predators. Just keep in mind an accident can happen. At night chickens are sleepy and are more at risk.
For your other problem I think you need to address the chickens as if it were nagging children.
If I have a noisy hen, I ignore her.
In general: If you give a nagging hen for treats at your back door, she keeps doing so. If you let a nagging hen who’s at the gate to free range, and you let her out if she is nagging she keeps on doing so.
My idea : try to open the gate if she is quiet.
Supervise only if you like to. I like to lock mine in at night for safety (bc we have some kind of weasels here). .
In my village there are people who free range their chickens, and they walk up the street, to forage in the green beside it. The chickens seem to know they have to keep away from the traffic. My chickens don’t do this often bc I live at a dead end street.
