Refusing to go into coop?

[WhenInRhome]

The past month or two my older girls have refused to go into the coop till the sun is completely down. Guess they figured they were big girls and they would go in when they were ready. The younger ones (4 months old) go in before the light is gone.

The past week they have refused to go in at all. Last night around 10 I had to spray them with the hose to get them to go in. They are in an enclosed run that is predator proof but I feel safer with them locked in the coop. I was thinking it was the heat making them want to stay out, but I felt inside the coop and it was not any hotter than it was outside.

Any ideas on the new refusal? They all get along and have more than enough perch space. The young ones sleep in the nesting boxes anyways, but that is another issue

The bigger girls always slept on the upper perches.

 

[Shellystanley]

My girls refused to go in their coop or run for like a week. Once I finally got them to go in I locked them in for two days. They normally free range during the day so they hated that but once I let them out they happily went in there every day. They still only go in right as the sun is going down but I just close it once it's completely dark outside.

 

[chickens r life]

Whenever I get some new chickens I put a light in the coop at night and they always go right in...

 

[WhenInRhome]

They have all been sleeping happily in their coop since the spring when I got them. I did just realize one thing has changed. I put a few landscaping lights (the stick in the ground solar kind) because I read that it will attract bugs into the run at night and the girls would get more bugs. Maybe the lights outside in the run are messing with their natural clock? They are not very bright but maybe it is just enticing enough to want to stay out? Or maybe the bugs are coming in and they are too busy eating to go to bed? When I had to hose them down at 10 the night before last they were not sleeping, just milling around. Last night they went in when I clapped my hands but they did it slowly and I knew they did not want to. Guess the lights are coming out!

 

[song of joy]

Sounds like the solar lights are convincing them it's still dusk and not yet time to go into the coop.