Production Reds .... are they all a little dense, or is it just mine?

[chics in the sun]

So every evening I try to round up my three chickens after the free-range for a few hours. The Barred Rock, Ebony, knows the drill and eagerly dashes into the coop for her treats. The leghorn takes some reminding, but she generally follows Ebony in after a few minutes. The production red - Matilda - inevitably runs herslef into the wire on the side of the coop, then paces back and forth along it while the other two gobble their treats. EVERY TIME. EVERY NIGHT. For over a month now. Sometimes she will act like she knows where the door is (which is a four foot wide door, the entire width of the coop), stop for a moment, look back and forth - at the door, off to the side - at the door - off to the side - her little pea brain thinking hard. And AGAIN, she makes the decision, "yup, side, that's how I get into the coop for those tasty treats!!". ONCE she has remeber that the door is on the front. She even watches the other two, sometimes running after them and veering off to the side!! It was funny at first, but now I'm just worried I may have a "special" chicken who will forever take 10 full minutes a night to coax into the coop........

 

[chics in the sun]

Anyone? Are they so bad as pet chickens that nobody on here has them? Yesterday when I went out to get them back in the coop it was raining, and of course the other two came running and Matilda just looked up from her scratching at me like, "Huh? Why are you out here? Is something happening?" So I hearded her around the coop in the rain until she finally ran in after the treats, while the other two are going in and out of the coop chasing me around for more treats.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

as far as my experience goes that's pretty typical. although they do seem to be the ones who ALWAYS lay in the nest box instead of under a bush somewhere.

 

[chics in the sun]

At least that's something, and I'm sure I'll get plenty of eggs in exchange for running around the yard every evening saying, "c'mon, c'mon Matilda, it's a treat, here you go, c'mon - no, this way, over here, this way, c'mon........"