Unsocial chicken

[gretchenedwards]

I'm new to the site a d still learning how to post questions. I have 9 chickens of various breeds. One, a pPolish hen, refuses to go into the henhouse at night. I've had to tuck her in three nights in a row. She joins the group everyday for scavenging, but won't go to bed with the rest. Ideas?

 

[silkielover249]

how much space is there in the coop? is it possible for you to leave her out at night and give her a little box of shelter, maybe she'll figure its better to be in the coop than outside.
hope i helped!

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, gretchenedwards, and

! Great to have you with us! One reason I can think of is that Polish chickens seem to be lower or even at the bottom of the pecking order in mixed breed flocks. They are small, look different, and with their ornate hairdos they have limited vision, making them an easy target for a sneak attack. If she is getting bullied by her flock mates she may not want to go into the confines of the coop with the others where the she would be trapped and where a lot of bullying takes place. My thoughts for what they are worth.

 

[Tuhmu]

and good luck with your poultry adventure! Is her vision very limited? It's possible she just can't find the door once it starts getting dark out.

 

[gretchenedwards]

Thanks for the ideas. I have a large coop. There's plenty of room. She is my smallest hen and I'm betting she is getting picked on. Perhaps I should find her another place to roost.

 

[gretchenedwards]

I don't know how to reply to each of you individually. Still figuring the site out. Thanks for your suggestions. I think bullying is probably the problem and will try to find her other accommodations.

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! To reply to individual posts, click on the quote button under the one you want to reply to. Good luck to you!

 

[drumstick diva]

Do you have a light in your coop, sometimes especially, birds with obscured vision ,are afraid to go into a dark place. If you have a light on timer that goes on just before they return to coop and goes off after maybe a half hour, your polish may feel better about going in.

 

[gretchenedwards]

Thanks! She's begun to go in and roost with the rest of the crew, so I guess everything is ok now.