chickens not roosting in their coop??

[hot reels]

My 5 girls are a couple of years old. Up until about 6 months ago they would go into their coop every night. Recently all but one started roosting on a fence. We frequent get them off the fence and put them up and they stay the rest of the night. They go into the coop to lay eggs in the nesting boxes. The one who was roosting in the coop went broody so I now have her and a few chicks in a separate pen. Any clue why the change in roosting spots and what can I do about it. I would like all of them to be together as soon as the chicks are big enough to use the coop too. Thanks in advance.

 

[DobieLover]

My 5 girls are a couple of years old. Up until about 6 months ago they would go into their coop every night. Recently all but one started roosting on a fence. We frequent get them off the fence and put them up and they stay the rest of the night. They go into the coop to lay eggs in the nesting boxes. The one who was roosting in the coop went broody so I now have her and a few chicks in a separate pen. Any clue why the change in roosting spots and what can I do about it. I would like all of them to be together as soon as the chicks are big enough to use the coop too. Thanks in advance.

Have you checked the coop for red mites?

 

[hot reels]

I looked pretty closely and did not see any insects. I cleaned it and put new shaving in. Did not see anything on the one who was sleeping there either.

 

[aart]

Up until about 6 months ago they would go into their coop every night. Recently all but one started roosting on a fence.

So this has been going on for 6 months...or more recently?

Knowing what your coop is like, dimensions and pics(inside and out), would help us spot any potential issues.

Also.....
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[JemimaP]

Mine do this. No red mite. My theory is they like to be high up so if the fence is higher than the coop they’ll pick the fence and maybe they only discovered that 6 months ago but have decided they prefer it. Mine roost on a high branch outside the coop. If I put a light on in the coop it occasionally temps them but usually a waste of time and I have to lift them into the coop every night. I tried leaving them on the branch but a cat nearly killed them. I can’t move the branch because I feel like that would be a safe place to jump during the day if they needed to escape from something so I just put up with carrying them in every night.

 

[Henry&Friends]

Chickens are jerks, I’d play with the roosts and boxes until it’s back to their standards, lol.

When I moved my chickens to a new coop, they wouldn’t use it. So every day I’d move the perches and put them to bed until voila! One night I went out and found all of them perched up, ready to be shut in.

 

[woodmort]

Chickens are jerks, I’d play with the roosts and boxes until it’s back to their standards, lol.

Truth, that!

 

[hot reels]

Pensacola fl.