Up in a tree

[Horsefly]

We have a coop with a small chicken yard. Then around the coop there is a combination of 6 food wood and 5 foot chainlink fence enclosing an acer or two. Problem wih the chicken yard is we didn't relise chickens could fly 4 feet with their wings clipped so all but two fly out into the big part of the yard every morning. Not a problem most of he year as thy can eat more bugs and stuff. My dad has his garden in the fenced area also. So it's a battle every spring to keep the chickens from getting out their yard and eating the small plants or fruit. We managed to keep them in all growing season this year and they got mad and stopped laying for several months. Even after we let them back out. So Once let out 3 hen would sleep in this juniper tree we have. Eventually they gradually started to lay again (like last month!) and the hens went back to the coop (few months before laying). Now the 3 hens have been back in the tree and one of them (maybe 2) stopped laying. What's the deal here? They are 2 years old and we have 4 hens and a rooster (1 hen and the rooster are to heavy to fly out the coop yard). They usually lay really good for us, even all winter. Crazy chicks lol.

 

[gritsar]

Unfortunately roosting in a tree at night is a good way to shorten a chickens lifespan. I can think of several predators that wouldn't mind climbing a tree for a free meal.
Locked up in a coop at night is the best place for chickens.

 

[JestersEye]

Owls don't even need to climb... they just swoop in and pick off a chicken while it's roosting in the trees. It's almost guaranteed to happen!

 

[GaNewChick]

I wonder what the ratio is between roosting in trees and being locked up. I have 8 that are locked up and 5 *not tame* that have been roosting for 2 years in the trees by the garden. We have all the predators around here, and I worry more about the ones that are locked up.

 

[txchickie]

All of my bantams sleep in the cedar trees at night, but we are super lucky to not have predators.


I even have a japanese hen who likes to lay eggs in the birdsnests in the trees

 

[Horsefly]

Think something could of happened in the coop to make them not want to go in it at niht? It seems every other year racoons or possums get our chickens one by one around Christmas time. Could somehing have scared them? I actually worry less about the ones in the tree be cause they are pretty well hidden in there. I was just wondering why one of hem won't lay, think she lays somewhere out of the coop because she doesn't sleep in the coop?