I'm a failure as a chicken mom :)

[speakup4kids]

I recently built a real rough temporary run on the side of my coop for my chickens to have some outdoor time in during the day due to my roosters loud mouth issues.

I started letting them go out in it Monday and all of them were in the coop when I went out to feed at night Monday, Tuesday and tonight except for this girl…

The first night she was standing outside yelling at the coop frantic, then last night one of my silkie roosters was yelling out to her. Well tonight, I was a little bit late and I felt awful when I came home and she was sleeping all by herself in the middle of the run. It is pretty cold out and she was pretty pathetic out there. I couldn't figure out what the issue was and then it hit me

she can't get back INTO the coop! There is about a one and a half foot high space between the ground and the door and all of the other chickens fly up to it. She can't fly! Tonight I stuck a long piece of wood out the coop door, she walked right up it and into the coop!

Crazy chickens!

 

[Mahonri]

Glad you figure out what you needed to do. If it were me, I'd trim a few of the feathers around her eyes. That's what I do with my polish hens.

 

[Kaceyx73]

Don't you know chickens can't fly?!?

Of course my little ladies (RIR from hatchery) don't know that either. Couple of months ago, I added a sizable run on the other side of their coop. While I was finishing the side attached to the neighbors fence (4ft chain link) I decided to let them explore it a bit. Well, something spooked the first pullet to brave it and right over the fence she went!!! Much crowing and fussing later I managed to get her back into the original coop. Nah, you aren't a bad momma, young ones will always find some problem for you to figure out...

 

[LeezyBeezy]

Poor girl! She's very very cute. Glad you figured it out!!