Wierd pullet behavior

[speedymom]

At dusk, my approx 15 week old pullets mill around in their run, very agitated. They are trying to "escape" (impossible) and sticking their necks trough the wire, flying at the roof, etc. Its very strange! Then when it gets dark they go to bed in their coop.

 

[Imp]

The only time I had hens acting oddly at dusk I thought they were just acting weird. A few weeks later I found a rat nest in the coop. They didn't mess with the chickens, but the chickens didn't know that. Now at first sign of something odd I do a wall to wall search for predators.

Imp

 

[newlyweds]

Do they have Roosts to sleep on at night? Almost sounds like they are searching for their roosts. I have one chicken that roosts in the tree at night, but if she gets in the coop, she acts that same way, walking around flying at the ceiling searching for tree branches.

 

[speedymom]

They have a roost in the coop that they don't like at all, and one in the run that they love but they may feel too exposed on? Also, I have looked around in the run for aome kind of little animal and haven't found one, but the run is right up aganst a shed, maybe something crawls under there? Some good ideas, thanks guys!

 

[speedymom]

My dog caught a huge rat outside their run today!!I guess that could be my answer?

 

[trunkman]

bingo, that must be the answer!