She had me worried there for a while

[sawilliams]

I have a bard rock about 3-4 years old. To try to make a long story short; sometime between predators attacks about 2 months ago, and moving extra cockerels to a grow out pen seperate from the main coop a few weeks later, this hen decided to start sleeping under the coop rather then in it. At first I thought for sure I would lose her. The first week or so she stayed under the coop, not broody but like she wasn't feeling well, her walking was a little slow but overall she seemed ok, or at least nothing significant to try to treat, and at that point she was still eating and drinking on her own. Now i do know prior to moving the cockerels the cuckoo maran, who was coming of age, was starting to disrupt the pecking order, and the bard started getting picked on as a result. I think it was mostly just a matter of identity confusion as they treated the cuckoo the same way. Eventually, the bard started acting normal again, coming out from under the coop and joining the flock on thier foraging around the house. But I had gotten to the piont I wasn't sure what to do with her. She was sleeping at the furthest back corner under the coop where I would need a pole to push her out and a second person to grab her and put her in the coop. I figured at least she is safe in the run I'll leave her be. Now, the only change this last week was I gave 4 pullets to a friend but this didn't greatly change the main flock of 30. A few nights ago when I went to do my evening check she came out from under the coop and went inside, since then she has been sleeping in the coop on the roosts every night.

I'm still not sure what happened, if she was infact sick there for a while? If it was just pecking issues and she couldn't handle the stress any more? Or the coop was starting to get a little crowded? But she's doing fine now. Only thing I don't know at this piont is if she is still laying eggs or not, I haven't definitively seen one of her eggs or seen her in the nests, but that's not to say that maybe I'm just not recognizing her egg as I have so many new layers too. I haven't wanted to seperate her to see if she's laying, becuase I didn't want to add to whatever the reason was that she choose to stay out of the coop.

I'm just glad she finally felt comfortable enough to move back to the coop.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Glad she rejoined the roost! Hopefully, now she will stay put!

 

[Thechickentrainer1999]

Praise JESUS CHRIST (YESHUA) Thanks for sharing! ❤

 

[ronott1]

She could have had an injury from the attack and was not able to get up to the roost or into the coop.

 

[sawilliams]

She could have had an injury from the attack and was not able to get up to the roost or into the coop.

I did consider that but it wasn't immediately after the predator that she started this. I don't recall but it was at least a few days later. I did consider that maybe she was injured by one of the other hens in the identity confusion, or possibly the rooster and cockerel disagreements that finally got the cockerels seperated. But again I never saw anything definitive. Either way she's doing well and sleeping in the coop and that's the best news of all.

 

[ronott1]

I did consider that but it wasn't immediately after the predator that she started this. I don't recall but it was at least a few days later. I did consider that maybe she was injured by one of the other hens in the identity confusion, or possibly the rooster and cockerel disagreements that finally got the cockerels seperated. But again I never saw anything definitive. Either way she's doing well and sleeping in the coop and that's the best news of all.

Puncture wounds take time to get bad.

It is great to hear she is better!