1 hen alone in coop?

[auntieb1223]

Hey y’all! I have 6 girls, and as of lately only one of them will sleep in their coop at night, it used to be sun down and they were all in, now 5 of them sleep outside (enclosed run) in a pile on the ground. They do have a log a couple of them could sit on (it’s angled for play) but they would rather all lay by the door to the yard. I’m worried predators will see them and come after them :/ my RIR however goes into the coop every night alone I haven’t seen any sign of red mites, or bullying, any other things I should look out for?

 

[SmiYa0126]

I have the same situation, however my birds have a roost to perch on. We had a fix e that tried to get in but our apron prevented him from getting in. I would recommend that you predator proof your run and put a place for them to perch.

 

[auntieb1223]

I have the same situation, however my birds have a roost to perch on. We had a fix e that tried to get in but our apron prevented him from getting in. I would recommend that you predator proof your run and put a place for them to perch.

It’s cemented in, and I don’t think anything could come in, I just worry about them coming around as we let our dogs out late night etc. I’m just so confused as to why the last couple nights they have refused to go in, last night it was storming horribly and all 6 were out there in the rain lightning and thunder we are in the process of building a new coop too, so hopefully once that’s finished they will like the new one better

 

[SmiYa0126]

That's great that it's predator proof! I wouldn't really worry about it.

 

[Tonyroo]

Check the coop for a mouse or small animal.​

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You have six birds, I assume Large Fowl? How old are they? What are the dimensions of the coop? Typically if chickens won't go into a coop it's usually because it's too small. Perhaps they've outgrown it. Or maybe the RIR that goes in won't let the others in. Can you observe the behavior at dusk and see if she is guarding the entrance and not letting the others in?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Oh, also, what kind of fencing encloses the run? If it is only chicken wire your girls will not be safe over the long term. Raccoons, for one, can rip chicken wire apart easily. Hardware cloth is your friend for protection.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of your coop and run would really help. Since it's been a hot summer my guess is your coop is underventilated, but without seeing it that's just a general assumption.

 

[auntieb1223]

I will attach some photos later when I can get a better picture, there’s enough space for all of them, but the coop itself is kinda crap (we bought the house and coop came with), no small animals are in, and it has a mix of hardwire and chicken wire. Good to know raccoons can still get in. Our new coop is going to have a automatic door and be above ground for the coop part, so that will be fixed as soon as this one is completed, I’ve wondered if our RIR is being a bully so may be putting in cameras today