Hen is healthy but won't leave coop after being treated roughly by rooster.

[46Trav]

I have a seemingly healthy hen that won't leave the coop. I recently had to re-home my rooster because she did not submit to his mating and he started attacking her. She was pretty traumatized by it. She's a bantam and he was huge. So I had to get rid of him before he caused physical damage to her. But it's been a week since he's gone and she doesn't go out with the others in the morning to free range. She just stays in the coop all day. Before the issues with the rooster, she was free ranging with the rest of the flock.

She is definitely at the bottom of the pecking order, but the other hens aren't particularly aggressive with her. Just the occasional light pecking if I'm giving treats and she gets near the scrum. Nevertheless, she usually avoids being next to the other hens unless its at night on the roosting bar.

Should I just give her time to figure it out, try to lure her out with treats or close the coop and force her to be outside?

For background, I currently have 10 hens in a 10x12 foot coop. The have a 2,000 sq foot "run" from electric netting, but I let them free range when I'm home, which is most of the time. So I don't think this is an overcrowding issue.

 

[sourland]

It will take time. Have you tried physically putting her outside so that she can see/learn that the rooster is not there?

 

[1muttsfan]

I would carry her out and put her with the group. Once she gets scratching around with her friends, she will likely recover and start coming out on her own.

 

[46Trav]

It will take time. Have you tried physically putting her outside so that she can see/learn that the rooster is not there?

I did manage to lure her out a few days ago when the weather was nice. She even went kind of near the other hens for an hour or so before returning to the coop. Then we had two days of freezing rain. She hasn't been out since.

 

[DobieLover]

x3 on physically removing her from the coop.

But it's been a week since he's gone and she doesn't go out with the others in the morning to free range.

I had a dog once that had a dog. They were both actually MY dogs but he thought she was HIS dog. If she tried to play with another dog, he would make her stop. She was only allowed to play with HIM. He died young at just over 6 years old. It took my female months before she would play with another dog. She had been so conditioned that if she tried to play with another dog, he would stop her.
Your hen has been conditioned that she gets attacked when she leaves the coop and that is the only safe place she can get some peace. You need to show her otherwise.

 

[46Trav]

I would carry her out and put her with the group. Once she gets scratching around with her friends, she will likely recover and start coming out on her own.

x3 on physically removing her from the coop.

I had a dog once that had a dog. They were both actually MY dogs but he thought she was HIS dog. If she tried to play with another dog, he would make her stop. She was only allowed to play with HIM. He died young at just over 6 years old. It took my female months before she would play with another dog. She had been so conditioned that if she tried to play with another dog, he would stop her.
Your hen has been conditioned that she gets attacked when she leaves the coop and that is the only safe place she can get some peace. You need to show her otherwise.

Thanks for the advice. I'll bring her out with the others. I just wasn't sure if I'd do more harm by intervening. This is my first time raising chickens and so grateful for this forum!