still not going in coop at night

[Kristin.marlies]

I have a silkie hen that has decided for the past three weeks she would rather stay ousted for the night. At first I had no idea where she was going but after a few nights of searching I found her perched on the underside of the coop. My coop is built on a trailer and she is tucked into a small space under the steps. I live in Vermont and it has been very cold so I am confused as to why she would prefer to be there. I go out ever night, once I know the hens are turning in, and get her to put her in with the rest. I have spent a lot of time observing the flock and she is not being harassed. I left them all in for a few days but that changed nothing. The coop has ample space and she does't seem to have any issues once she is in there.

Help....how do I break her of this. She is surely going to get eaten once all our snow melts.

 

[CMV]

This might be the first signs of her going broody. She may be looking for a quiet place to hatch a clutch. Keep doing what you are doing, but maybe move an extra nesting box into a quiet corner of the coop? She may decide to stay inside that way.

Good luck.

 

[deedra11]

Hi, I am having the same problem with my silkie hen. She has been sleeping on the ramp to the coop every night & I have to go out there & force her in. How old is yours? Mine is 21 weeks.
I think my silkie rooster is to blame because now my big girls (barred rocks) wouldn't go in last night either & he was in there all alone (probably telling them all to stay out)
Good luck! I don't know what to do either....might have to get rid of my rooster.

 

[KIDDSBANTAMS]

Do you have a light in your coop? We have a light on a timer in our coop because the hens will not go into a dark coop they can not see in the dark and it scares them. I would try the light and also pick her up and put her in there and maybe she will get used to it. They are creatures of habit.

 

[Kristin.marlies]

Red is 27 weeks old. Around 4:30 I went out to shovel the snow around the coop (again). Red was in her usual spot. All the other hens were turning in for the night but yet another silkie- Noodle. Noodle was looking very content under the coop. I tried to use this to my advantage. I shooed Red out of her spot hoping she would join Noodle. She did. Then I shooed them both out from under the coop. I put a treat at the top of the ramp to try to lure them in. Noodle was all over the treat but Red just stood at the bottom of the ramp for a few minutes then retreated under the porch. So I put some of the treat on the ground near me to lure her out then put her in the coop where she enjoyed the treat with the rest of them. Just plain weird.

It is still light out when they all go in for the night and there is a big plexiglass window on one wall which let's in a lot of light not to mention the window on the door. I do have lights in there though so I will try them on a timer.

If she is going broody wouldn't she want to be somewhere she could lay down? Where she goes she has to perch. I am now worried that Noodle is going broody because she was looking pretty comfortable before I lured her into the coop.

Ugh! Sorry this is so long:/. Oh. And I don't have any roosters.