Chicken won't leave the coop.

[WitchyHerbalist]

I have an 18 week old speckled sussex who is suddenly refusing to leave the coop. Her and my other hens have been entering and leaving the coop on their own for about a month now, so this is a very sudden change. She's not showing any sings of illness or injury, she's not old enough to be going broody, and none of my chickens have started laying yet.

She won't let me remove her myself. She keeps pecking me HARD and jumping up to scratch me.

I'm at a loss here...

 

[Judy]

She may be at the low end of the pecking order and hiding from the others, to cut down on the attacks. She may be sick and hiding this from you. About all you can do is have more than one source of food and water so they cant always chase her away from them.