Sudden avoidance to sleeping in the coop

[callsign222]

I have 5 silver and golden laced Wyandottes, 8 months old.

After I culled my roo early this summer they started roosting in the tree above the coop. When I installed a light in the coop on a timer, they easily went back to the coop. The light goes off around 1030pm.

Now, they are waiting until deep into the night before going into the coop, if they go in at all, often nesting on the ground outside the coop-- and I have to chase and catch them (their night vision has gotten much better as they get older) and get them inside. When they do go into the coop at night (or when I put them there), they descend into the run and sleep there on the ground. This behavior started with 2 silvers, and then quickly followed to the other 3.

What's up? I'm suspecting all of a sudden they don't like the inside of the coop, but I don't know what or why. They happily use the nesting boxes and eat and drink. Egg production is fine. One hen goes in and out of broodiness, but that's to be expected with wyandottes. Things are clean.

Any thoughts?

I'm fine with them sleeping in the run, I just want them to go home when it gets dark.

 

[sourland]

Try switching the timer around so that it goes on early in the morning and they go 'to bed' under normal light.

 

[callsign222]

Quote:
This worked really well. Thanks for the tip!

 

[RHRanch]

You may have mites or some other invasion of insects. It could also be rodents or something like that. Your roosts could be the wrong size or have edges they don't like.