Loyal Heights Poultry
In the Brooder
Hello,
We're experiencing a problem with a non-brooding hen attacking our brooding hens. Our Rhode Island Red is the one not brooding and the other two have taken up the preferred, previously shared nest. Our White Barred Plymouth Rock got up to take a walk in the run and the Rhode Island Red attacked her, jumping up and feet out. The other chicken responded the same way, so I had these chickens foot-jousting in the run. I ran out to break them up before someone got hurt. They stopped when I yelled at them and I stood over the run for several minutes and they stood side-by-side peacefully while I was playing referee. Then the Rhode Island Red took a little nip at the other's comb, but they seemed peaceful enough when I left.
Question: Is the chicken jousting a serious violent behavior or more posturing. I've had a hen-pecked death before and I couldn't bear to see it again.
Other Question: We are urgently designing a new coop to make room for our new chicks. We are planning on making "chicken apartments" basically a multi-layer design like a dresser so hens can choose from multiple roosting/nesting spots and we can get some separation. Would that work or would the chickens all fight over the "preferred" apartment or is it an unknown how they would respond to multiple roosting/nesting places? Would it be different if they were all at the same height, like a series of nightstands placed side-by-side?
All advice is appreciated.
We're experiencing a problem with a non-brooding hen attacking our brooding hens. Our Rhode Island Red is the one not brooding and the other two have taken up the preferred, previously shared nest. Our White Barred Plymouth Rock got up to take a walk in the run and the Rhode Island Red attacked her, jumping up and feet out. The other chicken responded the same way, so I had these chickens foot-jousting in the run. I ran out to break them up before someone got hurt. They stopped when I yelled at them and I stood over the run for several minutes and they stood side-by-side peacefully while I was playing referee. Then the Rhode Island Red took a little nip at the other's comb, but they seemed peaceful enough when I left.
Question: Is the chicken jousting a serious violent behavior or more posturing. I've had a hen-pecked death before and I couldn't bear to see it again.
Other Question: We are urgently designing a new coop to make room for our new chicks. We are planning on making "chicken apartments" basically a multi-layer design like a dresser so hens can choose from multiple roosting/nesting spots and we can get some separation. Would that work or would the chickens all fight over the "preferred" apartment or is it an unknown how they would respond to multiple roosting/nesting places? Would it be different if they were all at the same height, like a series of nightstands placed side-by-side?
All advice is appreciated.