Flock has stopped going into the coop at night

[Kellyjean86]

HELLLLLP! Over the last few weeks more and more of my chickens are roosting in the barn OUTSIDE the safety of the coop. Since they were babies they have always instinctively found their way into the automatic coop door into the coziness of their beautiful safe coop. We have 14 chickens and 4 roosters. At first for a while it was just one rooster that would roost at the top of the barn right next to the coop so I let it go. (I'm not into arm wrestling a rooster to get his butt to bed!) And I thought it was sweet that he felt the need to stay there and guard the coop at night. Then...one hen started snuggling with him up there....then 2 then 5! NOW...THE ENTIRE FLOCK is spread out on the stairs going up to the top of the barn at dusk and never make their way to bed. I go and pick up one at a time and put them in the coop, but as soon as I get 2 or 3 to bed the rest of them go up and huddle with the roosters. The girls are all still LAYING in the coop steadily. Ive made sure there is nothing wrong with the environment and theres no hidden critters in there...I bumped the time that the automatic door closes to give them more time and still its a freakin hen party on the stairs every night. I worry now when I go out of town because the rest of my family is not crazy enough to climb stairs and put stubborn chickens to bed in the dark. It feels like a game of Russian Roulette just waiting for a predator to find these stubborn little snack bites but I cant imagine having to hand carry 19 birds to bed every night.
If you have any advice at all...
PLEASE HELP ME SAVE MY DUMB BIRDS FROM THEIR OWN STUBBORN BUTTS PLEASE!

 

[BDutch]

Think of any reason why they prefer the barn instead of the coop.
More space, more ventilation? Higher up?

I had chickens roosting in a tree but the go inside the run every evening now. You can change this with some patience and discipline.

A plan/idea that probably works:
You might need to enhance the coop/run area first. Create a spacious coop with an attached run that is okay to keep all your chickens locked up for 1-2 weeks. Make the roost higher than they are now if possible. Or make the run a Fort Knox too and make a ladder/high roost in there.

Lock the chickens inside and give them some scratch/treats in the run before roost time. Do this every evening.
From there they will go to roost in the coop and you can lock them up safely. Or let them sleep safe on the high roost in the run.

Is the barn an open construction? Can you close it with a fence/door in a way the chickens can’t get in anymore?

After a week, you can let them free range again. Close the barn as much as possible/ at least in the afternoon. Give snacks around sunset/ before they roost, in the run and close the run door if they are all inside.

If the barn can’t be closed and some some hens go to the barn, catch them and put them inside. You need to close the chickens in again for another week. Keep giving treats every evening. This can take up to 6 weeks before they h as ve changed their behaviour completely.

If they have learned you still need to give treats every evening to be sure they won’t start to roost in the barn again.

 

[PatriciafromCO]

Mine are loose in a big barn up in the rafters they love it. Agree that would be a good first reason. The 2nd might be there is a predator in or near the coop at night?

 

[User690263]

My guess would be that something happened that mede them feel that the coop is no longer safe.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Do you have pictures of your coop?