Difficulty cooping and odd behavior

[jwsmith1959]

Had my girls for about a month and with only one hiccup, I honestly couldn't be happier....UNTIL last night. They were supposed to be 17 weeks, but I am guessing now that they were probably closer to 14-15 weeks, so now close to 20 weeks. Production Reds BTW.

My youngest Daughter was due yesterday evening after moving back to Texas from NC and we haven't seen her since the pandemic. I had a number of errands to take care of and didn't let the girls out until early afternoon. They had plenty of food and water and their free range day seemed no different than any other...until I tried to get them back in the coop. I've never had an issue with putting them up early (before roosting), but last night I could get them close, but no amount of coaxing could get them in the coop. At dusk, they even started roosting on an aluminum fence gate leaning on the back of the coop and on the bed of my truck. I was finally able to shoo them into the coop where they roosted almost immediately.

I let them out normally this morning and ran a couple of other errands and when I got back they were highly distressed. We were having some really high winds...not super uncommon (35 or so mph), but they were hiding under my wife's car and their clucking (cooing) seemed way more than normal. They followed me to the coop and went in without an issue, but still with more than usual clucking...and the first CACKLE that I have heard. They have been disturbed/abnormal since putting them up. They have even roosted on a few of the roosts available. The wind?

There are some Leaf Cutter Ants that have been around, but they have been off and on in the month since I've gotten them. I have been treating the holes and get some relief, but none completely.

What the heck is going on? Is the wind an issue....are the ants?

I have had a couple of snakes that I have relocated, but did a very good check last night and today and no such problems.

HELP

 

[jwsmith1959]

Here they are out and about.

 

[jwsmith1959]

Here they are at 4:15 PM. About 3 hours early.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Wind shouldn't be an issue unless there's something rattling/flapping around due to wind near their enclosure (as that motion could be frightening to them).

I don't know anything about leaf cutter ants, do you know if they bite or anything?

Perhaps a predator came by and startled them, whether it was a hawk flying around or a coyote running through the yard?

 

[jwsmith1959]

Wind shouldn't be an issue unless there's something rattling/flapping around due to wind near their enclosure (as that motion could be frightening to them).

I don't know anything about leaf cutter ants, do you know if they bite or anything?

Perhaps a predator came by and startled them, whether it was a hawk flying around or a coyote running through the yard?

Thanks. They seem to be fine this morning. No odd behavior.

 

[sourland]

I would guess that there was a predator in the area. Be on high alert as it may return.

 

[jwsmith1959]

There's a pair of Red Shouldered hawks nesting nearby and all of the properties in the area are anywhere from 5-50 acres. Along the edge of my property is an old oxbow lake, and the other is an overgrown pasture. I keep my 7 acres mowed, but some neighbors have much larger pieces and have livestock. Predators are a fact of life out here.

I always check the coop (and around) for slithering critters. I have relocated a small rat snake already.

Thanks for the advice.