[donnaw]

I have free range hens housed in a fairly large barn, they are normally out from dawn to dusk, I am having to leave them for 24 hours and do not have anyone reliable to shut them away at night,  will they get too stressed if they are left shut in from the night before? I can leave plenty of food & water for them.

[New shoot]

Better to lock them in than risk them to a fox, assuming they will get enough daylight during the day to allow normal feeding and preening behaviour.

If you give them some stuff to amuse them like a cabbage hung up to peck at and a cat litter tray full of fine soil or sand to dust bathe in, I'm sure they will be fine.  Chickens are accepting little critters and although they may create a racket at first, they'll settle soon enough.  Leave several water sources in case they turn a drinker over 

[ANHBUC]

If there isn't enough natural light in the barn you can rig up a light and put it on a timer so that they have their normal amount of light during the day.

Just a thought, if you post which area you live you may have another forum member who would be willing to hen sit.