They have a big walk in coop with roosting branches and they still choose to sleep outside. Some go inside, some are outside. Is it because of heat? Any chicken owners here? They’ve been ok for a week now but that one night something shows up is my concern...
I’ve never seen an owl around here but if it’s going to be something like that that makes them go inside then I guess so be it... I was hoping it was because of the heat... I already killed off a few coyotes that took half of my old flock, now I got chicks I’m raising to restock the numbers. And now these fuckers won’t go inside. I did read something about putting a light in the coop would make them go in there do you know if that’s true or not? because I’d have to run some underground conduit if that’s the case
so they’re sleeping outside because there are predators? I’m aware of the predators I killed a few, but why would this caused them to sleep outside? The first day I got the rooster he slept outside and wouldn’t go in the coop and then the hens started doing the same thing
We just had a raccoon decimate our chickens, killed 9 of the 10 we had in a week or so. Chickens are not smart and the group follows what one does, so my guess is they are hiding in the trees because the predator has figured out how to get in the coop. No expert, just what we went through recently.
gotcha the old coop they had, it had no way of getting in they actually got killed one morning when I let them out way too early and I’m almost 100% sure a coyote got them because I saw paw prints (after I buried the body of the one I found I saw the print because it came to dig it up again). no animal has ever broken into the coops but I’ll keep what you said in mind
yeah I was thinking this because when I look inside there I see some of them with their mouths open... i’m thinking I should add a screen window I can cover up in the winter to the side of the wall. thanks for the replies - was just curious if anyone had seen the same situation.
Yeah, mouth open is often stressed, be it hot or scared. If you had a raccoon issue all of them would likely have been dead in a night so I was ruling out predators. They usually just go "full killing spree".
I don’t see really any ventilation on that coop. I have windows approx 12”x12” that I take off in the spring and put back on in fall. Permanent vents at the eave which are 3”x10”ish Plus they’re door stays open year round which is low and 10”x18” and I could still probably use more. Also some breeds are more likely to roost in trees. My boss and another co-worker each have leghorns and they constantly have to get them out of the trees at night