Tractors and Laying Hens

gfcm

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This might seem like a dumb question, but I am new to this and just don't know! We built a really big tractor and I put nests in for the girls. There are a couple of the girls that refuse to lay in the tractor. They fuss at me non-stop until I let them out. They will then make a bee-line for the coup, lay an egg, and then come right back and I just open the door to the tractor. Today I was busy doing yard work and decided they could just 'deal with it'. Gabby, (black sex link hen) started being really mean to my Ameracauna. She escalated and was jumping on Sierra's back and pulling feathers out! I thumped her in the chest lightly trying to mimic the pecking order thing. She stopped until I went in the house. I watched her and she began her attack on Sierra again.

I got upset and removed her to the coop and shut her in. She was in there about an hour. She laid her egg and did her egg song, so I put her back in the tractor. She never so much as looked at Sierra again all day! This is the first time she's done this. I was thinking she upset at not being able to lay in the coop and just took it out on Sierra because she is the youngest. (Only by a few weeks, though)

What gives? Am I reading too much into this?
 
Sounds like a temper tantrum to me! Geez! She got her way too! Could you remove the other chicken(s) from the tractor and leave HER in there until she learns to lay there? I'd hate to see a time when you're not there when she wants to lay and she kills the other one! Your story has me chuckling!
 
That's what I thought. I didn't think of it as she got her way, but you are right. I was upset with her and felt like I was grounding her. She was picking on my favorite, so I was distracted! lol
I will do that next time. Hopefully, there isn't a next time. The other hen that likes to lay in the coop is much nicer about it! Spoiled chickens!
 

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