New chicken afraid to enter the coop

[AntonB]

Hi, we recently added 4 new younger chickens to our coop of 4 chickens and a rooster. So far it's been all right with just a bit of pecking from the older ones, but one of the young stand out. During the day the young ones keep some distance, and everything seems fair, but at dusk, all the old hens go into the coop with the rooster, followed by the youngster's, but the smallest stay out, seeming rather confused. I've tried placing her on the ladder, or at the entrance, but she turn around and don't want to enter the coop. Even if I put her in, she will try and go out, as if she is afraid of sleeping with the others. There is as mentioned some pecking, but she still has all her feathers, and there is plenty of space in the coop for her to have some space.

Any suggestions of how to get her more accustomed? Will it just take some time? Right now we help her in every night, but this won't work in the long run.

Thank you

 

[Chickassan]

Give her a roost all to herself for awhile and give her a treat when you put her inside.
If she associates coop with good stuff then you're good.

 

[RoosterML]

What you think is plenty of space and what a chicken thinks is plenty of space may be two different things. Make sure it is well after dark when you put her in the coop. If your doing it at dusk when the others go in it is likely still to light out to force her to stay in. Should take a couple weeks but she will catch on.

 

[AntonB]

Give her a roost all to herself for awhile and give her a treat when you put her inside.
If she associates coop with good stuff then you're good.

I tried putting her in at day time alone one time, with some fresh corn, but she didn't eat them :/

 

[Chickassan]

Im suggesting since you are having to put her inside for now anyway is take 2 small chicken sized bites of bread.
Feed her one bite before you set her in the coop and one after.
In a few days she'll be happy to go inside on her own because there might be a bite of bread.
2 little bites though, no more bread makes them fat.

I tried putting her in at day time alone one time, with some fresh corn, but she didn't eat them :/