Chickens Sleeping Outside at Night

Hello all, my hens have resorted to sleeping outside on their perch instead of inside their coop. I am kind of worried, as I live in a more rural area, and coyotes are plentiful. I have seen them walk along our fence, and as a chicken owner, that's pretty scary, knowing that predators are nearby. I have tried placing them one by one back inside their coop, but they walk right back out! Not to mention, even when it rains they stay outside....and get drenched! Could they get sick? I keep their coop clean with fresh pine shavings, and I keep all spiders out! Is this normal behavior?
 
Hello all, my hens have resorted to sleeping outside on their perch instead of inside their coop. I am kind of worried, as I live in a more rural area, and coyotes are plentiful. I have seen them walk along our fence, and as a chicken owner, that's pretty scary, knowing that predators are nearby. I have tried placing them one by one back inside their coop, but they walk right back out! Not to mention, even when it rains they stay outside....and get drenched! Could they get sick? I keep their coop clean with fresh pine shavings, and I keep all spiders out! Is this normal behavior?
Hello all, my hens have resorted to sleeping outside on their perch instead of inside their coop. I am kind of worried, as I live in a more rural area, and coyotes are plentiful. I have seen them walk along our fence, and as a chicken owner, that's pretty scary, knowing that predators are nearby. I have tried placing them one by one back inside their coop, but they walk right back out! Not to mention, even when it rains they stay outside....and get drenched! Could they get sick? I keep their coop clean with fresh pine shavings, and I keep all spiders out! Is this normal behavior?
My girls started that last summer. Nothing had changed as far as I can tell. I thought maybe it was the heat. They went inside during really cold weather. But rain (or snow) or no, they are out. I guess there IS something madder than a wet hen. But mine are in an enclosed run, so they are safe. And after almost a year there is no sign of trouble. But I'm puzzed too.
 
I agree that your roosts look too low. Chickens naturally go for the highest place in the coop to roost. I occasionally have hens go to the fir trees if the coop door is closed for so random reason. You could try a light bulb on a timer (LED so not to add any heat), and time it to be on during dusk and then turn off after you close the coop door. This could attract them to the light and then they would settle down in the coop, on the roosts, and then close the door. When the chickens go to the trees I say they are going back to the wild...but the wild will get them in the end. A sleeping chicken is a sitting duck. lol

My roosts are as high as they can be with a standing rooster not hitting his comb.
 
I'm a new chicken mom. My chickens sleep outside of their coop, in the secure run, on a roost. They've never shown any interest in going inside at night...?
Hi is this still the case? Mine have started doing this and I've ruled out everything on this list and others. are yours okay?
 
Did you figure this out?

In two of my plastic omlete brand coups my hens are perching outside their inside coup and not sleeping in the dark bit, but rather in the large run. They do not seem to have mites, the cages are sprayed and get washes and I use demite wash and powder regularly. I have also demited their perches. The foxes cannot climb on their cage. But it is weird they are choosing to sleep in their run perches rather than their dark coup perches. I dont think it's too hot in their inside coup. Do you know of any reasons this might be other than these which I have pretty much ruled out?
They are all laying one a day or every other day. The coups are the correct size, it's actually since there have been less hens (I separated them) that they sleep outside but they cannot see/hear each other.

I'm worried I am missing something.
 

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