Is my chicken stupid?

[mjgate]

I have 4 chickens. I free range them during the day and coop them at night. 3 of the 4 come back on their own, but one seems to have trouble getting back in the coop. She gets to the coop, but it seems like she can't figure out how to go inside. The door is open right in front of her. Each time we've had to catch her and put her in ourselves (chickens are not easy to catch). Is there something wrong with this chicken or will she go in when she's ready?

 

[chickensgalore]

mine used to take turns being the stupid one,usually the last one to get close to the coop would have a hard time finding the open door right in front of their face

 

[kareninthesun]

i think its like the last one in starts to panic, 'where is everybody? sure? safe? I dunno. maybe. maybe not. better check. maybe they found. another way in. '

 

[StephanieD]

Quote:
That's funny! I do actually think that that is what they're thinking!!! lol

 

[KatieBugg]

I have a BO girl that is always last in, she has to take several tries of sticking her head in, she will not go in and roost if anyone is left on the floor, I also notice she is the lowest in the pecking order.

 

[stilldeb]

I have one black Silky that is also lowest in the pecking order that I call the "dawdler" - always last to go in the door. And then she comes back out, walks around, gets a bite to eat, and goes back in, and comes back out, then wanders back in...and FINALLY stays in...or I'm standing there and shut the door behind her little feathered booty when she goes in and cut her little procession short.

deb g

 

[pooh731]

mine play this game too where i have to chase them around the coop before they will go in, they are not stupid they just like messin with us. sometimes we tag team them and herd them in but most of the time they go in on their own if we give them enough time.

 

[sharol]

Yesterday afternoon we had an ugly thunderstorm that came up really quickly. My younger chicks (15 wks. or so) were hanging out in the big chickens' run and the big girls were out in the yard. When it started raining, the big girls went immediately to their coop, and 4 of the 5 young ones headed out of the run to their hoop/coop/tractor. My BO chick got panicked and didn't run with her sisters, and then she was so scared by the rain and the loud thunder that she just ran back and forth along the fence. I went out to the run and as I got to her it started to hail. I scooped her up and ran her to her own coop where her broodmates were already safely inside. By the time I got back to the house I was soaked, but the hail didn't get big enough to hurt me until after I got back in. No long term effects, but I noticed that she stayed really close to the others all day today.

Pretty scary for all of us. There is always one who doesn't make it with the others.

On your topic though, is there a chance that the laggard has an eyesight problem and can't see the entrance to the coop?

 

[drumstick diva]

pardon me for saying it but, they are chickens , not rocket scientists. If they had made "Planet of the Chickens," instead of apes I think we would still be in control.

 

[sourland]

I believe that this is a 'self answering question.'