Hen not wanting to be with other three hens in the coop at night

[aart]

She walks in when we're going in and out of the basement.

Well, it is her old 'home'.
Just take her out of the basement and put her in the coop at night.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes, she grew up with the rest of them as a chick.
The coop where they sleep is 5 feet long x 5 feet width x 4 feet high. And two roosting bars across the coop, different heights. It also has three nesting boxes that are separate from the sleeping area.

Your space is good so it sounds like she's just gotten into the habit of going to the basement, which she considers home, since she can get access to it without issue.

 

[NatJ]

Goldie has been spending the nights back in the basement...the other three hens sleep outside in the coop.

Has Goldie ever slept in the coop at night?

Chickens usually try to sleep in the same place they are used to sleeping. So if Goldie never got in the habit of sleeping in the coop, of course she wants to sleep in the familiar basement.

You can change a chicken's sleeping habits: put the chicken in the right place every evening, and over the next week or so they get used to sleeping there.

If Goldie was in the habit of sleeping in the coop, and then moved back to the basement, there might be a bullying problem. But if she never did sleep in the coop, she probably just needs to learn where "home" is supposed to be.

 

[Amethyst288]

Has Goldie ever slept in the coop at night?

Chickens usually try to sleep in the same place they are used to sleeping. So if Goldie never got in the habit of sleeping in the coop, of course she wants to sleep in the familiar basement.

You can change a chicken's sleeping habits: put the chicken in the right place every evening, and over the next week or so they get used to sleeping there.

If Goldie was in the habit of sleeping in the coop, and then moved back to the basement, there might be a bullying problem. But if she never did sleep in the coop, she probably just needs to learn where "home" is supposed to be.

Yes, Goldie slept in the coop at night for a while. The thing is, Goldie would always try to get under the hens on the roosting bars, and two of the three hens (Mother hen and follower) would be pecking her - no blood. I tried snapping at them when they did this, and they stopped. But the two hens started it all again the following evening. Heck, the dominant hen called "Moma" pecks the other hen but it's only once or twice, then they soon settle down for the night.

Then one of the other hens decided to join Goldie in the basement one night, but she would be repeatedly pecking Goldie as if she wanted her out of the way.

I'm wondering whether to separate one of the hens at a time for a little while to see what happens in the pecking order?

 

[9_OddHens]

My girls don't all sleep together during hot nights (June, July, August). Several sleep inside the coop at night, in spite of the heat in there (because their just plain stubborn and weird). The rest sleep outside (sometimes more, sometimes less on other nights), high up on roosts in their pen where its a bit cooler.

I stopped trying to get everyone in at night during the hottest times of the year... once the temps change, and the nights start to get cooler, they'll all move their fluffy butts inside and sleep together again.... they'll have to figure out sleeping spots again, but its been 3 summers like this so far, haven't seen a problem with it yet.

 

[aart]

I'm wondering whether to separate one of the hens at a time for a little while to see what happens in the pecking order?

Put them all in the coop and let them work it out.
Providing there is enough roost space for all.
(Pics of your coop, inside and out, would help here)
The RoostTimeRumble is almost always the most contentious part of the day,
and can be quite disturbing if you're too sensitive to chicken society/communications.

 

[Sally PB]

The RoostTimeRumble

Great term for that!

 

[Amethyst288]

So she grew up with the rest of them as a chick?

How big is the coop (or even better, do you have photos inside and out?) Roost time rumbles may be causing her to get kicked off the roost/out of the coop.

Yes, she grew up with them as a chick.
Here's the inside/outside of the coop (5 feet long x 5 feet wide x 4 feet high)
where the other three sleep.
I leave the doors open all day and the other three hens hop in there in the evening.

 

[rosemarythyme]

From looking at the coop I don't see any obvious reason why she's not using the coop with everyone else, other than it's just become a bad habit to go the basement. I would try putting her in every evening (doesn't even have to be on a roost, just push her through the pop door and shut it) and see if you can break her current habit while also showing her this is where she should be at night.

 

[Amethyst288]

From looking at the coop I don't see any obvious reason why she's not using the coop with everyone else, other than it's just become a bad habit to go the basement. I would try putting her in every evening (doesn't even have to be on a roost, just push her through the pop door and shut it) and see if you can break her current habit while also showing her this is where she should be at night.

Thanks for your suggestion. I will try this.