Chickens are not returning to nor roosting in their coop at night, and I'm not sure what to do.

[1motorpsycho]

Inspect the coop thoroughly for poultry mites and take immediste action if you find some.

Then provide some kind of night light inside the coop as it is often very dark in the coop already when the sun goes down and they finally realize it is time to go in for the night.

The tape test on ends of nesting bars since they only come out at night.

 

[BDutch]

The tape test on ends of nesting bars since they only come out at night.

What is this exactly?

I use control rolls made from ribbed biscuit paper . If I get red mites, the mites tend to hide in it. Elastic band around the paper and tie-wraps on the roosts to hold them. Check a few times a week in the morning (if it’s warm).

I like to know if the tape test is easier.

 

[LaFleche]

The tape test on ends of nesting bars since they only come out at night.

Yes. The double sided adhesive tape can prevent the mites from getting to the chickens and/or from getting back into the crevices if the chickens brought them into the coop from their dust baths which are often used also by sparrows or similar, leaving their parasites for the dustbathing chickens to be picked up.
I also stick it to the underside of the whole roosting bars.

 

[1motorpsycho]

What is this exactly?

I use control rolls made from ribbed biscuit paper . If I get red mites, the mites tend to hide in it. Elastic band around the paper and tie-wraps on the roosts to hold them. Check a few times a week in the morning (if it’s warm).

I like to know if the tape test is easier.

The tape test is all I know. It was easy. I used double sided tape.

 

[1motorpsycho]

Yes. The double sided adhesive tape can prevent the mites from getting to the chickens and/or from getting back into the crevices if the chickens brought them into the coop from their dust baths which are often used also by sparrows or similar, leaving their parasites for the dustbathing chickens to be picked up.
I also stick it to the underside of the whole roosting bars.

Well I use the tape to see if the numbers are declining through treatments. And they were. As far as wild birds, I moved my feeder to the front yard outside of the fence.

 

[1motorpsycho]

Well I use the tape to see if the numbers are declining through treatments. And they were. As far as wild birds, I moved my feeder to the front yard outside of the fence.

Good idea about the tape all up under the bar.