Chickens refuses to go to coop at night! Help!

[joshissman]

Hi everyone so like 6 weeks ago I had bad problems with raccoon, fox and minx I found dropping or tracks for all 3. They whipped out half my flock in like 2 week time period. I eventually stopped the predators for know anyway. Sen's the first attack they refused to go to or sleep in the coop unless I put them in and shut the door. After about a week if that I locked them into there coop and run for about 2 weeks. After that I let them out again and they still refuse to go to the coop at night they roost in the same tree as always? The coop is clean ,bug, mite free ex, they will sleep in the coop no prob when there confined to the run and coop... Idk what els to do I'd like to let them free range during the day but I'm not letting any more get eaten because they want to sleep in a tree and I don't have the time or energy to pull them out of a tree every night. Thanks a lot.

 

[Abbie79]

My girls did the same thing. They preferred to roost on top of the coop, and on the branches I set up for them in the run as opposed to the roost bars inside. I had to heard/carry them in, and lock them up inside for about three weeks. After that they finally started going in on thier own volition, and I just have to lock the door after them at bedtime.

 

[Abbie79]

Is your coop predator proof? That's not where they were killed is it?

 

[joshissman]

Thanks I'm going to try that! Yes sadly the first attack occurred in the coop a raccoon came in and grabbed the smallest weakest pullet and my dominant hen jumped on it! Sadly it killed her for defending her flock! After that I started shutting and locking the door at night.