Change in behavior

[Stephanie R]

I have four 12 week old chickens, who have been outside for several weeks. In the mornings I let them out of the hen house and they happily go downstairs to eat and then head to their outside run for some chicken fun. This morning they all went downstairs to eat, but then they went back upstairs to the henhouse and they all jammed themselves in one nest box. I shooshed them out, but they returned immediately. At night they are on their roost (at least that's where they start out), so not sure what this behavior means.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Something might have scared them. Mary

 

[Stephanie R]

That's what I was thinking also. My husband and I were gone last night until after dark. We secured them in the coop before we left. When we returned they were all upstairs in the hen house sitting on their roost, but this morning they all piled in the nest box. Strange. I closed up the henhouse for a little while this morning to see if I could get them to venture out to the outside run. So far no luck.