[rebecca.smiles]

My hen seems to have decided that now shes on her own she would rather sleep in a tree!

is it ok to let her or should i put her in the coop?

could foxes get her from there? (i could just about reach her)

[GrannieAnnie]

Joy will tell you all about hens roosting in trees.  She'll be here in a mo!!   

[joyfull]

did someone mention my name?
I have several that roost in trees and they do this all year round. In winter they fly down from high up with frost on their wings especially those that roost in the trees that have lost their leaves. Roosting in trees is probably the most natural thing for them to do, however it is not ideal. I cannot get these birds to treat for mites and lice unless I can time it so they are in the coop laying an egg (not likely for my tree roosting rooster  ) and depending how high they go they could be vulnerable to predators. I cannot reach mine - they are that high up (at least 20 feet up). If one of your tree dwellers goes broody then chances are should you let her hatch eggs then the offspring will also start to roost which can be a pain if you need to get hold of any of the cockerels to get rid of them.
Have you checked that your coop is free from red mite? this can make them not want to go inside.
Mine started when I hatched a batch of silkie crosses. 4 of these went to live elsewhere and at night I went into the coop to collect said 4. 1 of their sisters then decided there was no way she was going to be grabbed and moved herself into an apple tree. Fine I thought she can stay there and in the winter she would move back inside the coop. How wrong could I be - she simply moved into the evergreen laurels. She then hatched 2 batches of chicks and they moved into the trees as soon as they could.

[rebecca.smiles]

Aw that sounds lovely!

they can be quite robust can't they?

my coop is only 2 months old and i checked for red mite the other day (also it has redmite and diatom power painted on with water, so it should stay parasite free for a long time) and i muck it out daily. I think she is just a very independant bird. she likes to fly up and down the garden if i am walking it.

but she is only about 6ft up. I'm happy for her to stay there, but i'm not sure how wise that would be.