Tree sleeper, help!

[lgutt]

I have six chickens and every night usually 5 of them will put themselves to bed in the coop. When I go out to lock up there is always the same one up in the tree that is next to the coop, without fail! Sometimes one of her buddies will join her. I'm getting tired of wrangling her out of the tree and into the coop. Any suggestions or reasons as to why she keeps doing this?

 

[Lalegid]

I have one that likes to do this too. How high are the roosts in their coop? I think they feel safer if they can roost up high. I solved my tree-sleeper problem by adding a high roost, and shutting the girls away for a week (with just a small run attached to their coop. They usually free range). Now she roosts in the right place but still lays eggs in the garden...!

 

[lgutt]

It's a few feet off the ground and I actually just added another small roost that is higher. No one else seems to have a problem with the roost, just her I guess! Maybe I will try and keep them contained for a few days like you did. They will hate me for it I'm sure! Thanks.

 

[shortgrass]

Well lol, I'm not going to be much help, because I LET mine roost in the trees

Space on the roost, and breed. My free rangers sleep in the tree, the layers get the roost. Started as a pecking order disagreement between some very dominant BRs, and Anconas honestly don't put up with drama lol...

Totally serious. My chickens have "gangs".... I tried for a few nights at get the Anconas and Buttercups out of the tree, but they insist...it started at one, now 4... I caught a BR just last night trying like mad to get up on the coop to get in the tree too, failed miserably, she's too fat lol

You'll probably have to lock them in BEFORE she gets a chance to roost. That or wait until its dark to wrestle her down,she'll be calmer that way. If you don't want them in the tree at all, I would make some sort of barrier up high enough at the canopy level to keep her from getting into it at all, she'll branch hop to get away if you don't

I'm OK with the ones in the trees, they seem happy up there, we've had some nasty storms and they seem to do alright.. No coons have snagged them yet, so that's good too

 

[hen-questioner]

Maybe the chickens perches are too low and it feels safe up the tree i would try maybe putting wite round the bottom of the tree for a while to stop it from hopping up and get it used to being in the coop

 

[lgutt]

Their run is around the tree. It's a smaller cherry tree so she just flys up on top of the coop or right up into the tree!

 

[hen-questioner]

Is there anyway to stop her from getting on top of your coop

 

[aart]

Are the coop and roost large enough for 5 birds?
...and well ventilated?