New girl won't leave the hen house.

Date sort Score sort
schmooscontrol

schmooscontrol

Chirping
9 Years
May 10, 2015
17
1
84
Only had chickens for a couple months and last weekend I brought home a few more. One of the girls still refuses to come out and if i grab her and put her out in the pen she just runs right back in the house. She was laying when I got her but seems to be having a tough time adjusting. Is this normal?
 
She will come out when she's ready - being yanked out, her fears are being realized. Chickens fear everything is out to get them - it usually is. Everything loves to eat chicken. If she is still eating and drinking, leave her be. Are the others bullying her? Or preventing her from getting to the feed or water? Chickens can be very ruthless in setting pecking order and adhering to it.

When she feels safe in her surroundings she will venture out. Or maybe you will want to rehome her if your patience gives out.
 
She is still eating and drinking she just seems freaked out by the rooster. He is the only one that shows interest good or bad towards her. Thank you guys for your input.
 
Aha, the culprit is your rooster. She is probably the only one he can catch - so he is trying to breed her and she is either too young, too worried. If he can't catch the others - a rooster will overbreed a female to the point of damage or worse. If he is taken out of the picture (put it solitaire or another pen he can't escape from) things might change a lot faster for the new girl.

When roosters are riding a hormone kick, they are relentless and some are very brutal to hens. It's not uncommon at all for hens to hide from them. If you have no need for fertile eggs for hatching or selling - there really is no need to have a rooster. Nowadays a lot of farms do not keep them. Hens will continue to lay eggs (unfertile) and will be much happier without being hassled and injured by a rooster.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom