Dealing with Tree Sleeping Chickens Before Winter

[WalkerH]

So my two Brown Leghorns have been sleeping in trees for a while now. I tried keeping them in the coop for a week, the day I let them out that night they were in the trees again. Being leghorns they are pretty flighty. I just processed the four meaties that were bothering them and now I want to get the Leghorns to sleep in the coop, since winter is approaching and I don't want a couple of frozen chickens. They lay in the coop, they just don't sleep in there. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[centrarchid]

Try confining them again now that larger birds are removed. Best to break tree roosting habit otherwise owls may take one.

 

[WalkerH]

Should I just confine them with the GLW also? I don't want to confine them and then get egg eaters because they get bored in the coop. Last time I put them in a dog cage, should I just do that again and for twice as long? I know some people say to put them in there at night, but the only way I can get them is getting them down with a pool net, since they roost probably fifteen or twenty feet up. But I don't want to hurt them.

 

[centrarchid]

Go ahead and push them down with pool stick. Risk to strong fliers like leghorns is minimal from such a method. Priority should be given to getting birds into your coop/roost at night, otherwise risk of loosing all egg production from those birds is high.

Nutrition is probably more important in promoting egg eating. Make certain adequate amount of quality feed is available. Put some loose hay into coop and scatter small amounts of scratch grains or better yet sunflower seeds in hay to provide mental stimulation.