Ok, so I have this hen, who began life in the laying coop. She figured out she could jump over the fence (no one else has) and so she abandoned the laying coop and began hanging out with the silkies who were in the barn. (flew over the top there where no one else has). She spent all summer in the silkie pen, raised a clutch in the silkie pen and then when her clutch became old enough she abandoned the silkies and started free ranging (going to bed at night with the silkies). Then one day when I had free ranged my Dorking pen, she followed them to bed and stayed there for awhile. She then abandoned them and returned to the laying coop. Now the silly hen has decided that she will free range and keeps trying to sleep outside the laying coop. I don't mind her free ranging during the day (of course it is at her own peril) but I need her to choose a coop to stay in at night. She is obviously lower on the pecking order but I have never seen her being "picked" on and she can dish out her fair share of "I'm the boss" especially when she had babies. It is getting to the point that I don't know which pen to put her into each night. The silkies have now moved to a fully enclosed pen. Should I try to reintroduce her to their pen (I do have a very bossy little nankin that doesn't realize that she is 1/3 the size of this hen) or let her continue her gypsy ways?
Anyone else experienced Gypsy hen syndrome?
Anyone else experienced Gypsy hen syndrome?
