Chicken keeps roosting on roof

[mjones22]

I have one hen that keeps roosting on the roof of coop instead of inside with the rest of my hens. I have plenty of room and have even added bars for them. For weeks I have gotten her down with a ladder and put her inside and she still won’t go inside. I even placed some wiring on top to deter her and she just sat on top of it. She is bottom of pecking order but has been with flock over a year now. Any suggestions?

 

[ChickenLeg]

Id lock her in the coop in a small cage every day a while before sun set. This way she gets use to being in the coop before its night time and you dont have to lock all the chickens up early.

After a week of doing this, see if her habit has been broken. Best of luck, this has worked in my experience but I always would lock all the chickens up for a few days or lock them all up a few hours early everynight. I never focused on just one chicken Id just leave it out if it was mine, if it was just 1.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! If she's roosting on the coop and not in a covered run, she's going to be dinner for some predator soon. If she's in a predator proof run and on the coop, that's not so bad.
'Bottom of the pecking order' is likely the problem here, so maybe adjusting the environment so she isn't being harassed during the day will help. More feeding and water stations, hiding places, tree limbs or things to make various heights in the run, or something to make her life better.
Mary

 

[mjones22]

Id lock her in the coop in a small cage every day a while before sun set. This way she gets use to being in the coop before its night time and you dont have to lock all the chickens up early.

After a week of doing this, see if her habit has been broken. Best of luck, this has worked in my experience but I always would lock all the chickens up for a few days or lock them all up a few hours early everynight. I never focused on just one chicken Id just leave it out if it was mine, if it was just 1.

Thanks! I haven’t tried training her to go in early. That makes sense too since I think the others are getting in their “same “ spots they like before her and then she is scared to go find her a spot. It’s been interesting to watch tho. For several weeks my top of the pecking order would get up there with her but now she is back in the coop. I have gone weeks where I just leave her but then when we start having lots of bad weather and as we approach winter I just want her in the coop. Thanks for the idea!