We've got a possum pulling a double feature in the chicken run, and now the ladies are staging a bedtime protest. Our take? This is fowl play of the highest order, and your flock is absolutely right to be suspicious. One of your girls slept through both possum invasions, which is either the chillest chicken on the planet or a master of denial, but the rest of them clearly know something's off. That possum scent lingers like a bad guest who won't take the hint, and your free-range hens are making it known they'd rather roost in the open than risk a third surprise visit.
This situation reminds us of the pure delight in Those tiny chicken tails are three weeks of pure heart-melting magic, where everything is soft and adorable and no one's worried about marsupial intruders. But reality hits different when your girls are refusing their cozy coop. And it's not unlike the chaos of When Your Rooster's a Little Too… Enthusiastic, Eggs Take a Vacation, where one disruptive presence throws the whole rhythm off. In your case, the possum is that unwanted guest, and your hens are voting with their feet.
Here's the practical part, and it's the takeaway you need to write down: keep them confined to the run for at least three to five full days. I know they're furious about losing their free-range privileges, but that locked-in time is the only way to reset their little feathered brains. They need to see, smell, and feel that the run and coop are safe again, no possum, no drama, just their usual bedtime routine. After those days, let them out an hour before dusk and watch what happens. If they go back in on their own, you've won. If they still hesitate, lock them up for another two days and try again. The one who slept through the incidents might be your secret weapon, if she goes in without fuss, the others may follow her lead.
The weirdest detail here is that possum got in twice. That means there's a gap somewhere, a loose board, a dig spot, a latch that doesn't quite catch. So while you're resetting the flock, get down on your hands and knees and play detective. Patch every weakness like your chickens' sanity depends on it, because it kind of does. Your girls will forgive you for the lockdown, but they won't forget a third visit. And honestly, neither should you.