skittish hen wont let us pick her up--advice?

[Julieugar]

This is Opal---she is a cream legbar and is about a year old. She has been skittish since we got her. I've always been concerned that this was going to be an issue, and now we are at a loss as how to handle her. She has been healthy thus far, and a good layer. Gets along with her mates. She seems to have a bout of vent gleet, as evidenced by so blood on her eggs. She is extremely skittish, runs away from us and will not at any time during the day let us handle her. I can grab her first thing in the morning from the coop to treat any maladys, so while it is annoying, Its doable.

What is more troubling with her is that we are trying to put our free raging flock on a schedule where they spend only a portion of the day outside. We have a sly fox in the hood who has attacked her flock mate last week before bed. We see this fox at dawn and dusk. So, our ladies who had free range of the property are being limited to the middle of the day. They are let out late morning then corralled back in at 5ish. Our other girls have fallen in line and go in. They aren't happy about this new routine, but we can coerce them with treats, or handle them to get them in. Opal, will not come to us, she runs away. We have tried a net, to no avail. There is no treat or other incentive for her to go in. She eventually made her way in at sundown, but we had to wait for her, and let her in as we had to secure the others in before her.

If there is any advice on how to work with her and get her to trust us? If she doesn't follow her flock, she will get snatched away. This I am sure of.

This is

 

[nuthatched]

The fox will be back in the middle of the day soon, keep your birds locked in for a few weeks.
I have a few skittish birds, I'm not sure how to advise.

 

[The Coop Crew]

I wonder if it’s a typical trait of legbars. I have a crested cream legbar and she is also very skittish. I feel bad because we let the other girls out to roam under supervision but I do not trust her. Well, I went against my better judgment today and let her out too and it was an absolute pain in the butt trying to get her back in. She did eventually walk back in and we didn’t have to wait too long but it was stressful for me lol. She’s only 8 weeks old so I’m hoping she will improve over time
Sorry I don’t have better advice. I just have the same issue.

 

[Julieugar]

Well, this is very interesting! She is really a funny chicken, she makes this squeaking sound, almost a honk. Wondering if yours does too? If I could go back, I would make an effort at a younger age to handle her daily, to break her skittishness. Not sure if it would've helped....at her age she's pretty set in her ways.

Last night sadly she refused to go in with the others, we spent hours trying to to cajole her. Our attention seemed to exacerbate the situation and she continued to run away. We gave up and checked in sporadically. And quick as a flash, in plain sight the fox nabbed her! She is very feisty, and broke away with a minor bite, we chased the fox off. very scary. She for the first time, in her distress actually let me pick her up, clean her and bandage her up. Although she is skittish, i have to say she has a hearty temperament, she let me treat her and her demeanor, while obviously freaked out, was quite calm in the situation.

The girls will be kept in until further notice!

 

[Julieugar]

The fox will be back in the middle of the day soon, keep your birds locked in for a few weeks.
I have a few skittish birds, I'm not sure how to advise.

Yes, the girls are now in until further notice.

 

[The Coop Crew]

Well, this is very interesting! She is really a funny chicken, she makes this squeaking sound, almost a honk. Wondering if yours does too? If I could go back, I would make an effort at a younger age to handle her daily, to break her skittishness. Not sure if it would've helped....at her age she's pretty set in her ways.

Last night sadly she refused to go in with the others, we spent hours trying to to cajole her. Our attention seemed to exacerbate the situation and she continued to run away. We gave up and checked in sporadically. And quick as a flash, in plain sight the fox nabbed her! She is very feisty, and broke away with a minor bite, we chased the fox off. very scary. She for the first time, in her distress actually let me pick her up, clean her and bandage her up. Although she is skittish, i have to say she has a hearty temperament, she let me treat her and her demeanor, while obviously freaked out, was quite calm in the situation.

The girls will be kept in until further notice!

Well I’m glad she was able to get away! Whew. Ours isn’t super vocal yet because she’s still so young but she will call out to the girls when it’s time for bed as she is the head hen. I try to spend a lot of time with her but I don’t force her to let me handle her but after hearing this I might have to. I don’t want her to continue the behavior. Naughty chickens! lol

 

[morheb]

Building trust with a skittish chicken like Opal can be tough, especially with predator worries.