16wk Orpingtons now spending all of their time in the coop

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

I'm new to this, so I apologize in advance if this is common knowledge, never a stupid question, right?

I got 3 Buff Orpingtons a month ago for a small urban coop and run. They've been wonderful, exploring outside during the day (I can see them out several of our windows, so I spend an inordinate amount of time watching them

) and roosting normally at night. For the past couple days, though, they've begun to spend their entire day in the coop. I'll go down to visit them and they'll come out as soon as they hear me, but return to the coop as soon as I walk back in the house. I put small water and food dispensers in the coop as I was worried they weren't eating or drinking since they're spending all of their time indoors. Should I worry? Are they preparing to lay? Or did something frighten them?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[M To The Maxx]

Something probably frightened them.

 

[miss_jayne]

it could be the laying also. are they looking in the boxes a lot? they get rather curious about the laying boxes all of a sudden when they get close to laying.

when something does frighten them though, they do tend to stay out of sight, so again, very possible. they are no airheads.

 

[Superior Chicks]

When my girls did this, we looked around the yard and property until we spied the culprit: a barred owl was sitting in one of our trees. They did not come out of their coop until that owl left the premises. Then, as soon as that owl left out they came out and resumed their natural activities as though nothing had happened.

They are in a covered run, but they don't know that that owl can't get them! They are instinctual creatures.

HTH

Ma