Chicken bully?

[HYGNST]

We have had 8 chickens for about 1 year now. 4 golden comets and 4 Rhode Island reds. They free range during the day and put themselves up at night. When we shut the door to the run there is always 1 Rhode Island Red sitting just inside the coop door, blocking all other chickens from entering. As the weather here in Virginia is getting colder we’re concerned about the ones left in the run getting too cold. We try to put them inside the coop ourselves but aren’t always able to do that. What can we do about this 1 chicken blocking the door? Thanks for any feedback!

 

[proudmommie31]

I mean crockpot boot camp would work *if* you also use your chickens for meat. If not, maybe physically moving that hen so the others could pass a few nights in a row? Maybe that would knock her down a peg. Or adding/re-arranging the roosts so she is more concerned with re-claiming the best roosting spot and not guarding the door (not sure how long term that would be though).

 

[HYGNST]

We only use our chickens for eggs. We’ve tried moving her several times but the other chickens don’t always go in. Then she goes right back to guarding the door. It’s very frustrating.

 

[Pork Pie]

Topic of the Week - Chicken Behaviour and Flock Dynamics Part 2 - Bullying Behaviour

 

[MissChick@dee]

My leghorn did the same thing with the younger pullets we introduced this spring.
I would pick her up. Get all the other girls into the run shut the gate then put her down outside the run.
I’d stay with her as it got darker and darker. She’d panic a bit wanting to get into the run to go coop up for the night.
I did this for three evening’s in a row. She stopped the behavior and we haven’t had a problem since.
Best wishes