wtf is up with my chickens?

[sethstarkaddersmum]

Heard squawking in the garden 20 mins ago, around the time when they usually go bed, and found them wandering round outside the run. (They've been staying inside because of the snow for the last week or so.)
I checked there were no obvious signs of foxes or anything (no footprints in the snow) and left them to it. Just now I came out and found them huddled up as if roosting, outside run and against the side of the Eglu rather than inside it.
So I checked the Eglu, no signs of any creatures in there, picked them up and put them in to roost through the egg collecting door. I've left them in there with the house door open and the run shut so nothing can get in at them and they can come out of the house if for any reason they don't want to be there.
WDYT - fox? rat? but if a fox why didn't they go and hide in the Eglu instead of outside it?

Sounds like a rat. Chickens can get terribly freaked out by things and then associate the object with the unpleasant thing. So if they have seen a rat run in their eglu, the rat to them will still be in there.

They do have little brains.

If it had been a fox, there probably would be no chickens..foxes are bolder at the moment. And very fast.

Mine are like this if they see a rat or mouse.

thanks, that must have been it then.