Chickens will not roost in coop anymore after attack

[silverbk]

I'm sure this has been covered before, but I had no luck with the search engine, and I would appreciate a personal response to assuage my fears.

I had eight hens, all White Leghorns in a small coop. I have an automatic door and I let them free range about the property all day. They were all roosting in the coop, until one started sneaking out and roosting in the trees behind the coop. I would have to go and get here and put here inside.

Somehow I had a predator attack. I lost two birds, one right away, nothing but feathers left and another died a day later. Since the attack, the hens will no longer roost in the coop at night, they go into the trees. I admit they pick pretty good spots because I get scratched up ny briars and thorns when I retrieve to put them in the coop.

I have tried locking them in the coop for a week, and when I let them out they go for the trees again.

Is there anyway to get them back in the coop, without building a run to confine them?

Any help appreciated.

 

[devora]

Sorry you had an attack.

Perhaps it's the "somehow" part that is bothering them. Is the coop now predator proof?

If so, I would lock them in for a few days, then let them out right before sunset. Maybe they will not head for the tree but instead go right back in the coop.

Getting a Leghorn out of a tree can't be easy!!

 

[DanEP]

I had the same problem with wl and ee,s. I did get lucky and they were roosting in small trees so if I couldn't reach them I just shook the tree till the flew out but it was a pain.
I ended up locking them up for 2 weeks to break them and still had 1 that I had to retrieve every night for a while. Without a run this could get tricky unless you have a big coop or could make at least a small run.Be patient you can retrain them it will just take awhile.I know I was begining to wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just start over with new girls but it worked out as I'm sure it will for you, you just have to be more stubborn than the girls about it.