One hen is leaving the coop/chicken yard at night, returning in the morning. How can I stop this?

[citybirdies]

Thank you everyone for your helpful input! Today I emptied the coop and treated it for mites while my chickens roamed the backyard. They all went immediately to an empty garden bed to bathe in the dirt, then nested there for the afternoon, which leads me to believe even further in the possibility of mites. I will be treating them with a homemade spray today and will be shutting them into their coop tonight. One reason I haven't been shutting them in is that it's been 90 degrees in Portland, OR, where I live, and I've been wanting to wait until dark, when it's cooler, to shut them in, and Ruby is always on the loose by then. I'll go for it earlier tonight. I am also looking into some netting to cover the entire run with, which I think will work as a more permanent solution. Thanks again!!

 

[mirandaleecon]

Thank you everyone for your helpful input! Today I emptied the coop and treated it for mites while my chickens roamed the backyard. They all went immediately to an empty garden bed to bathe in the dirt, then nested there for the afternoon, which leads me to believe even further in the possibility of mites. I will be treating them with a homemade spray today and will be shutting them into their coop tonight. One reason I haven't been shutting them in is that it's been 90 degrees in Portland, OR, where I live, and I've been wanting to wait until dark, when it's cooler, to shut them in, and Ruby is always on the loose by then. I'll go for it earlier tonight. I am also looking into some netting to cover the entire run with, which I think will work as a more permanent solution. Thanks again!!

As long as there is plenty of ventilation in the coop, they should be fine if you shut them in earlier. I live in florida and it's been in the 100s quite a bit this summer. We actually cut out most of the back wall of the coop and covered it with hardware cloth just to make sure. Haven't had any issues closing them up as soon as they go to roost.

How did it go last night btw?