chickens abandoning coop

[Jeffreylewis]

New to chickens pretty much. Have hens approximately 4 years old who decided they would rather roost in trees at night instead of returning to coop. They haven't started doing this until a couple of months ago. Now they rarely go back to it even with their food and water there . Any suggestions would be welcomed.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Are the roosts in the coop too low? Have you inspected the coops for any mites, mice or possible predators??? Are they laying eggs in the coop?

 

[Jeffreylewis]

They are laying eggs in coop and yes I have checked for all the things you've mentioned.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Something may have orginally scared them enough to convince them it's not safe to sleep in there at night. Predators may have been sniffing or digging at night. There must be something they don't like about it or makes them nervous about roosting in the coop.

Chickens are creatures of habit and will sleep where ever they did last night because they are still alive today. You will need to retrain them at this point by getting them all locked in there at night.

I would try and lure them in with treats in the afternoon. Lock them in and get them to sleep in there for several nights in a row. (You can let them out during the day.) Once they have roosted in the coop for a week, they should return to it each night. However try to figure out why this is happening.

 

[Jeffreylewis]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Something may have orginally scared them enough to convince them it's not safe to sleep in there at night. Predators may have been sniffing or digging at night. There must be something they don't like about it or makes them nervous about roosting in the coop.

Chickens are creatures of habit and will sleep where ever they did last night because they are still alive today. You will need to retrain them at this point by getting them all locked in there at night.

I would try and lure them in with treats in the afternoon. Lock them in and get them to sleep in there for several nights in a row. (You can let them out during the day.) Once they have roosted in the coop for a week, they should return to it each night. However try to figure out why this is happening.

Ok thanks for suggestions. My neighbor thought he had seen a possum around but I've set traps and put moth balls under she'd next to the coop but have come up empty. I've checked for mites and other pests as well. I'm pretty much a stickler for keeping coop clean.

 

[TwoCrows]

Ok thanks for suggestions. My neighbor thought he had seen a possum around but I've set traps and put moth balls under she'd next to the coop but have come up empty. I've checked for mites and other pests as well. I'm pretty much a stickler for keeping coop clean.

You need to remove the moth balls. They can hurt the chickens respiratory systems. Could be why they don't want to roost in the coop. This may fix the issue!

 

[Shadrach]

This might help.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/getting-chickens-out-of-trees-and-into-their-coops.75511/

 

[Jeffreylewis]

You need to remove the moth balls. They can hurt the chickens respiratory systems. Could be why they don't want to roost in the coop. This may fix the issue!

Just put moth balls out under she'd 2 days ago but will do. This issue has been ongoing for couple of months now.

 

[Pork Pie]

Welcome to BYC - you have some great advice and links already so I'll just say hello!
All the best

Pork Pie

 

[aart]

New to chickens pretty much. Have hens approximately 4 years old who decided they would rather roost in trees at night instead of returning to coop. They haven't started doing this until a couple of months ago. Now they rarely go back to it even with their food and water there . Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Have you had these birds in this coop for 4 years?
How many hens are there?
Pics of your coop, inside and out, might help here.
Do you have a secure run?
I'd get them into the run and keep them confined to coop and run for a week to reestablish that being 'home'.

Oh, and...... Welcome to BYC! @Jeffreylewis
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!