Hens won’t go in

[Robin4901]

Hi
Please help
We had 8 hens
Woke up to 2 of them dead Inside the coop
I’ve cleaned the top of the dirt out and put down clean hay
5 of our hens will not go in the coop
We pick them up and put them in there
However
1 Rhode Island goes in there every night
The first dead hen had her butt ate at
The second one a opossum at durning the night
Please help me get them back in
They are in a 12/12 run

 

[FortCluck]

Hi
Please help
We had 8 hens
Woke up to 2 of them dead Inside the coop
I’ve cleaned the top of the dirt out and put down clean hay
5 of our hens will not go in the coop
We pick them up and put them in there
However
1 Rhode Island goes in there every night
The first dead hen had her butt ate at
The second one a opossum at durning the night
Please help me get them back in
They are in a 12/12 run

They're going to be scared of the coop for a while until they know the opossum can't get them. It's almost like you seeing your best friend die right in front of your own eyes.

I had a black snake attack a chick in front of all my other chicks and they wouldn't go in their coop so we had to put them in there every night one by one for a week. After about a week they went in by themselves.

Make sure that opossum can't get back in because it'll take the rest of them.

 

[sourland]

First question is - have you made the coop predator proof ?

 

[sorce]

Aye, I'd bang a few nails and get in it yourself if you can.

Sorce

 

[so lucky]

How large is the coop itself? And can the chickens see in it at night? You may need to put a light in there until they get settled in at night.