New chicken isolating herself

[Larrickchick]

I have a flock of 20 hens and one roo and they free range. I have 20 10 week old poults that I just introduced into the flock. I have one poult who has chosen to live on my porch instead of with the flock. This started this week when I first let them out with the existing flock. I have tried getting her to go back with the rest but she just runs back to the porch/bushes around the house. It's driving me nuts because there is chicken poop all over the porch and patio and I have a toddler who loves to be outside. The others chickens come up occasionally and make a mess but this is over the top. Any suggestions? My porch is around 30 yards from the chicken house.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Poults? They are turkeys, are we talking turkey or chickens? You might need to pen the one up, it's possibly on the bottom of the pecking order and is looking to hide.

 

[Larrickchick]

Pullets, not poults, sorry for the confusion! They are all chickens. The aforementioned toddler has not slept through the night in her life and my brain does not do well with a lack of sleep!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Is this particular bird picked on or driven away by the other chickens? It is odd for one to isolate itself like that. Either penning her in the coop for a bit or make it unpleasant to be by the house by spraying with a hose, or putting up a temporary fence to block it. All options are not an easy fix. Most young chickens make poor choices. After sexual maturity they are a bit more responsible and careful about where they go.

 

[Larrickchick]

She started this the first day she was free to roam. I have not witnessed anything to make me think she was being picked at. I have a broody breaker in the coop, sounds like she needs to spend a few days in there.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Are you sure it's a hen and not a little rooster, who would be hiding from the big rooster?