chickens suddenly won't come back to coop

[alrosenb]

I've got 10 week old chickens that have been free ranging for about a month. At sunset every night they come home except tonight 4 of them didn't. I saw two of them but I couldn't get them in the coop, I don't know where the other 2 are. Why did they suddenly not come back to the coop tonight? Will they come back tomorrow?

They have food, water, and a light until bedtime in their coop so I don't know how else to get them in.

 

[rlbrand]

did you give them to nearly dark to come in? sometimes my chickens for whatever reason decide some nights they want to stay out a little later than usual...

Do you have any large trees around? It is quite possible they felt safer high up in a tree, and roosted there. I looked for 20 mins for one of my chickens when it was just 11 weeks old or so before i found it roosted above my head in the rafters of my old coop.

They will be back in the morning, long as they were able to avoid any predators.

Do you only put food and water in their coop? no option of food or water outside the coop? you could also try luring them into the coop at night with treats.. meal worms, or even table scraps like bread or left over veggie scraps. When I have an issue with my older girls staying out too late i can always coax them in the coop with sunflower seeds or other treats. They know whenever they hear "hear chick chick" they are getting treats, an boy do they run for me when they hear me call. You can easily treat your birds this too. just anytime you're giving them treats always call them first, even if they're right in front of you already, that way they associate being called with treats, and they will learn to always come when called.. expecting treats.

 

[ccrow]

The only time I've had this problem was when a fox took one of my girls from very close to the coop- it was evening and they were getting ready to go in from ranging, scratching around close to their pen. I came out to find two of them trying to roost on my porch railing, and no amount of calling "chick chick chick" convinced them to go back there... I had to pick them up and take them. Could you have had something after your birds, that might have scared them?

 

[Talithahorse]

Same here only for me it was a possum in the hen house. We removed the possum and then had to collect everyone for about two days until they returned. Once we convinced the Rooster it was okay the girls followed.

 

[TickinChicken]

just give them time and make sure food and water is provided at shelter they'll come back.

 

[drumstick diva]

Usually there is a good reason, snake , skunk, rat or something lurking in the coop- really check it out well. Or make your husband do it.

Predators may have taken the other two

 

[alrosenb]

The four of them were hanging out near the coop at the normal bedtime, pecking away happily. I went to tend the pigs and by the time I got back, two had wandered even further out with no intention of going back towards the coop (they seemed happy and calm) and I couldn't find the other two. I waited until it was really really dark before I shut up the coop but they still didn't come back. The first two came back this morning but the latter two are still missing. We have just shy of two acres surrounded by corn fields, no stray dogs or coyote problems so far but I have no idea where they are.

There is no food or water except in the coop. And they aren't in any of the trees.

 

[casportpony]

Check your coop for mites.

-Kathy

 

[aart]

It wasn't clear to me......How many chickens and what age?

How big is your coop(feet by feet)?
How much roost length do you have(in feet)?
How long had they been confined to the coop before being allowed to free range?

 

[alrosenb]

18 10 week old chicks (plus 4 5 month olds who keep to themselves). Coop is about 120 sq feet. 16 feet of roost although a bunch of them use other places to roost. They had been confined to the coop for about a week and a half before being allowed to go out during the day but they've been going out during the day for a month or so without a problem until the 4 10 week old chickens wandered off. 2 came back the next day but 2 are still missing so they're probably goners.