Chicken blocking entrance.

[Releasethecluckin]

Hey folks!

I have a modest flock of five hens. Two are Buff Orpingtons and three are Easter eggers. One of the eggers - Olive - is blocking the doorway to the coop every evening. She usually keeps out a hen or two from the coop and those birds end up hopping on top of our covered run to roost since they cannot gain entrance. When the autodoor attempts to shut, it detects Olive blocking the way. Olive does not move and she continues to block the way while the door attempts to shut a couple times. I have to manually shove her in and then take the bird or two who got stranded into the coop through the back door (I have an Omlet Eglu Cube.)

Has anyone experienced this before? A hen blocking the doorway to the coop at roosting time? If yes, was it remedied? and How?

Thanks for any help or illumination!

 

[azygous]

Yes. I had this problem years ago when I was adding the second group of new chicks to my existing flock. A bully hen stationed herself by the pop door and she refused to allow any chicks to enter.

I immediately, as in that very minute, got my saw and hammer and made a second entrance. Ever since, and it's been about fourteen years now, I haven't had this problem again.

 

[SourRoses]

She may just have chosen the entry as her roosting spot and is defending it.
What kind of roosts do you have inside the coop?


ETA: I looked up pics of your coop and it makes sense why you are having this issue.
5 is too many hens for the space. They'd be packed in there like sardines.

Also, chickens like the feel of height while roosting, which only the doorway of the coop offers.
She's not a bully, she's just acting like a normal chicken.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

An Eglu is rather small for 5 chickens, who ought to have at least 20 square feet. She's probably defending her territory because she feels cramped and crowded.

 

[Brooks_]

I immediately, as in that very minute, got my saw and hammer and made a second entrance. Ever since, and it's been about fourteen years now, I haven't had this problem again.

I agree. Multiple everything is more than feeder/waterer.

An Eglu is rather small for 5 chickens, who ought to have at least 20 square feet. She's probably defending her territory because she feels cramped and crowded.

I agree here, as well.

 

[McChooky]

Being in tight quarters can cause them to pick and pull each others feathers out. Rats cannibalize each other when crowded so do chickens.(We all need our own space!!) https://spsp.org/news-center/character-context-blog/does-living-crowded-places-drive-people-crazy

 

[Mrs. K]

some birds can take crowding better than others, but some cannot tolerate it at all. You are probably stuck with the coop, but the other way to make birds fit, is to remove 1-2 from your flock.

For five chickens - 4 feet by 5 feet by 4-5 feet tall is a better dimensions. This looks about 3 feet x 2.5? and maybe 2.5 tall? I did look for the dimensions, but could not find them...but I did see where they thing 6 full size birds will fit in there. I hate that the pre-fab coops say this, it is just not true.


Mrs K

 

[McChooky]

Hey folks!

I have a modest flock of five hens. Two are Buff Orpingtons and three are Easter eggers. One of the eggers - Olive - is blocking the doorway to the coop every evening. She usually keeps out a hen or two from the coop and those birds end up hopping on top of our covered run to roost since they cannot gain entrance. When the autodoor attempts to shut, it detects Olive blocking the way. Olive does not move and she continues to block the way while the door attempts to shut a couple times. I have to manually shove her in and then take the bird or two who got stranded into the coop through the back door (I have an Omlet Eglu Cube.)

Has anyone experienced this before? A hen blocking the doorway to the coop at roosting time? If yes, was it remedied? and How?

Thanks for any help or illumination!

I added a predator proof run onto our 30 sq ft coop that was too small. Their "coop" is now 84 sq ft complete with nest boxes, indoor & outdoor roosts ,dust baths, a solar motion light and food & water ( I still have to open their main run) Their main run is 8 x 16 (128 sq ft)

 

[Releasethecluckin]

wow thanks for all the suggestions!

Yeah - I have a 15 ft covered run attached to the coop and the surrounding 150 square foot area around it is fenced and netted just for them. Sorry. Should have mentioned that. I usually let them out to graze on the grass, scratch in the wooded area, and destroy my sacrificial garden daily. They do not seem too aggressive with one another - aside from the normal pecking order pecks. They have all been laying regularly. I move their "domain" every two weeks and grow fodder rye and clover in their run area during rotations. I live in a subdivision and, unfortunately, cannot offer them free range. I am not even sure I am allowed to have them but my neighbors are such great people.

I think azygous and sourroses maybe onto something... that Olive has just chosen her favorite roost AND she is claiming her territory so *sigh* I just have to figure out a way to make her favorite roost spot not so comfy. hmm.
Thank you for the brainstorming!