My chicken is roosting in a tree not the coop...Help!

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I had a small group of six that learned to sleep in the tree just before the new coop was done, I'd trick them with treats to get them early and into the coop. One night I could only catch one...well, that was the night of the owl attack, it took the biggest and the rest came screaming down the hill, never to roost there again, and always the first in the coop after that. Hard way to learn. Fortunately the owl took the young roo....but still.

 

[juliemcummings]

I'm hopping to take care of the problem before I loose any
Last night more of them went to the coop not problem and I had to chase the last 3 around untill they went into the coop. maybe a few night of chase will be enough to break the habit.

 

[robynz]

I was able to lock all mine in at dinner last night, but boy-oh-boy did they want out this morning! Today will be easier because because I won't be home by sunset to lock them in anyway, but it's hard knowing they are unhappy

 

[juliemcummings]

Last night I wasn't home till late. But I had told my boyfriend to try the water balloons or water gun. I guess he just used the hose instead but I guess it worked.
3 birds had tried to roost in the tree he squirted them with the hose (lightly) and they all got out and ran to the coop, 2 ran right back out and up the tree so he squired them again, 1 ran back out and up the tree so he squired that one and when she was in the coop he closed them in. now lets see if this will become a nightly ritual...

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Good solution! No, chickens get discouraged fairly quickly so they will associate the tree as a wet zone fast...

 

[robynz]

Julie, How's it going with yours? After a 3-day lockdown, I let them out - they tried to roost back up in the tree in the afternoon, but I scooped up my BRs, put them in the coop, the rooster followed to check on them, and then 2 more ladies came closely after My leghorn REFUSED to come in - she kept going further down the tree line of the cow pasture next door and higher up in the trees.

Last night, they all came to the coop at dinner time (even my leghorn!) with minimal dis/encouragement.

Thanks to everyone for the advice!

 

[juliemcummings]

They seem to be doing really well, one tried to roost in the tree be we were home so we sprayed her with the hose and she ran to the coop with everyone else.

 

[Runawaylobster]

I have an orchard where the coop is and mine have also started this. problem is that
i keep dogs and chickens separated so if they don't go inside at night they are outside
when i let the dogs out in the morning. I was out with a flashlight looking for 2 of them
both last night and this morning, eventually i gave up and went to work......

the dogs found them as soon as it got light and my daughter heard the rucus and rescued them.

I am focusing on cutting down all low branches but still they seem to hide and once it's
dark we can't find them... notably it is the small flighty ones that are the biggest worry,
ie a buttercup and a campine. The campine (named speedy) is impossible to catch
so i'm not sure how this will end ...

L

 

[robynz]

I did the 3-day lock down with mine, and it helped them like the coop/run again, but I still need to bribe them into the coop at night... I only feed them in the morning and at night, so I know that they will come a-running when they see me. We also cut down the brush and tree they were roosting in (right next to the coop) but they just moved over to the next trees - I will not be taking down the beautiful stone wall they are using to get into the trees or clearing out the woods

Good luck!

I have an orchard where the coop is and mine have also started this. problem is that
i keep dogs and chickens separated so if they don't go inside at night they are outside
when i let the dogs out in the morning. I was out with a flashlight looking for 2 of them
both last night and this morning, eventually i gave up and went to work......

the dogs found them as soon as it got light and my daughter heard the rucus and rescued them.

I am focusing on cutting down all low branches but still they seem to hide and once it's
dark we can't find them... notably it is the small flighty ones that are the biggest worry,
ie a buttercup and a campine. The campine (named speedy) is impossible to catch
so i'm not sure how this will end ...

L

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I would recommend clipping their wings so they can't get up into the trees. It won't hurt them a bit, there will be no blood, and the feathers will grow back next time they moult. My girls all have clipped wings to keep them from flying over the pasture fence, and they still get up on a 4' high perch, and into their nest boxes just fine.

You want to clip off the primary flight feathers on each wing. Use a nice sharp pair of scissors and cut off the primaries just below the coverts. (This pic is from the following website. I didn't make it. http://swittersb.wordpress.com/2011/03/05/fly-tying-a-whole-wing-what-to-do/wing-anatomy/). Make sure the feather shaft is white, not red. Red shafts indicate a blood feather and the wing shouldn't be clipped until the feather is in the whole way and the shaft no longer has blood in it. However, I've clipped hundreds of feathers and I've never seen a blood feather in a chicken. I used to see blood feathers in parrots all the time.