Chickens won't go into Coop at Night

[mraymond]

A couple days ago when I was out of town my daughter found a snake in the coop. She removed said snake and all was fine the first night, then last night the girls all boycotted the coop, refused to go in at bedtime and choose to sleep in the run. We are fairly secure, not many night predators but they have me baffled, they are 2 years old and have very rarely ever refused the coop at night. We double checked everything last night, no snake in the coop. Is it possible it was between the girls and the coop and that prevented them from returning, they have a narrow shaded area of the run they go through to get to the coop, which they typically love on hot days. Any suggestions, we did not see the snake back but the girls are not having anything to do with the coop at night. There food is in there, should I move it, or will they return if foraging is not enough? Also worried about predators and laying eggs everywhere but the coop.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Have you checked your coop for lice and mites?

 

[mraymond]

Have you checked your coop for lice and mites?

Yes we are not seeing either, no mice and it was just thoroughly cleaned

 

[Red Horse]

Maybe a temporary light inside would help? Mine wouldn't go into the coop when I first introduced them to it and the light worked like a charm. Maybe they just need a little help being confident that the coop is a safe place again, being able to see inside might help. I just used a cheap string of LEDA fairy lights on a timer.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

There is a study that suggests wild birds can smell where snakes have been present in a tree nesting cavity and subsequently abandoned the nest. Its generally thought now that the notion that birds lack a strong sense of smell is a myth.

What kind of snake and what part of the county? When I have issues with grey rat snakes they most always raid bitties in groups. It isn’t that the snakes work together. I think its simply multiple snakes coming into the nesting areas at the same time like sharks coming in on a chum line.

You may have another snake in there. If not, you may need to air out the coop and let the smell of the snake fade.