Can bullying result in an egg bound hen?

[Ataei]

Hell BYC community,
I have a flock of four with an under-dog who is a victim of bullying.
They all are almost 6 months old and recently started laying.
They started bullying the victim just before they started laying. Now the victim every time she wants to lay, she goes into a remote spot on the other side of my neighbors yard.
Today I decided to keep them inside the pen and not them loose. For two reasons, one is that one of them got eaten by a fox yesterday, the other reason so that our bullied hen starts laying in the coop.
She usually lays in the morning at around 9 am and today, she hasn't laid as of now which is 2:30 pm, because she wants to lay in her own remote spot.
I was wondering if I should keep doing this or should I let her lay wherever she wants?
I'm afraid its going to make her egg bound if I don't let her out. And if I do the fox is going to eat her.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
By the way, they are all Rhode Island Reds.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It makes sense that a pullet needing to lay and not having access to a comfortable nest box could make them hold on to it that could possibly cause binding. I never heard of it but it makes sense.
I would remove the most vicious bullies for a few days and return them one at a time.

 

[azygous]

Unless bullying in a flock is addressed, it will snowball. It's one of those vicious self perpetuating behaviors, the longer it's allowed to go on the more it happens and the worse it is for the flock.

Bullying causes stress for the bullied hen, and it will cause her to hold the egg in because she's nervous about being ambushed if she settles into a nest. Retaining an egg is possible for hours, but it's dangerous.

The solution is to treat this bully victim so that she regains her self confidence to stand up for herself and to feel comfortable laying in the nest box when it's her time to lay. Yes. This is possible. I and many people here have used this technique very successfully, and our flocks are harmonious now because of it. Here's how to do it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-bully-chicken-victim-a-two-sided-issue.73923/

It will require rigging up a safe pen, temporary or permanent in your run. A dog crate placed in this safe pen with a generous amount of bedding and situated so it is private will solve the egg laying issue during this rehab.