New coop and new pullets - help.

[Bigbluefrog]

hi! So I designed a new coop and thought everything would work out. Now that I have seven new pullets age 12 weeks and 4 year olds and 3 year old (6) hens. I am finding the young ones will get picked on.
Thinking of adding a lower roost over the egg nests. Not sure what else to do. One hen has declared the whole south roost for her own so she has been placed in a smaller coop at night. She is a bully and injured one hen‘s eye.
If anyone could give me ideas or thoughts on this. I could add another roost about 6 feet long over the egg nests.
Or just let them work it out- wait til littles ones are the same size. I have 13 birds 7 pullets. Existing Roosts are 7 ft long each (2 count). I will say a few extra inches on each. Gives each bird a foot each and then some.
one roost is 2 inches higher.
The two barred rocks roosting are the pullets. Hens are not happy they are in their space. I had them free ranging for two weeks and side by side for a month.
I believe I waited last time til the same size. Wondering if same height roosts were a good idea?
So what do you do? Brooder is in coop and they been together for weeks. Couple of jerks in the hen department.

 

[Bigbluefrog]

Okay so I couldn’t post movie. The fan area is a storage area fenced off with shelves and supplies. The big girls have an enclosed run 9 by 13. Additional yard with fencing outside of that with netting.
The littles have an enclosed space of 8 by 10 feet with a brooder inside main coop. The brooder is about 2 feet wide and 7 1/2 feet long with 3 roosts. The big hens will chase littles and pull feathers. Only 2 are real jerks the rest are normal pecking behavior. Tempted to remove the two naughty ones. I already have one that is being removed. I need them to share a roost not hog the whole thing. What a prima Donna! Gonna name her that!

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

That looks like a nice coop! What are the dimensions of the main area? You might have said them earlier and I missed them. You have twenty girls, 13 hens and 7 pullets, correct? The pullets are going to be picked on, yes. It’s hard to watch them all work out the pecking order at first, but they do eventually sort it out. It sounds like the pullets have been in a see-no-touch area, right? That’s the best way to get them all used to each other. Do the bully hens just pick on the pullets, or other hens as well? If you want to put the pullets in now, I would remove the bullies for a few days at the same time. You could just stick them in the brooder area, and that should shake up the pecking order enough to let the littles get established. Or you could wait until they’re bigger, but they’re probably outgrowing their present space, aren’t they? As I said earlier, that’s a really nice coop design, and I like that you have a built in brooder. Very efficient that way.

 

[Bigbluefrog]

That looks like a nice coop! What are the dimensions of the main area? You might have said them earlier and I missed them. You have twenty girls, 13 hens and 7 pullets, correct? The pullets are going to be picked on, yes. It’s hard to watch them all work out the pecking order at first, but they do eventually sort it out. It sounds like the pullets have been in a see-no-touch area, right? That’s the best way to get them all used to each other. Do the bully hens just pick on the pullets, or other hens as well? If you want to put the pullets in now, I would remove the bullies for a few days at the same time. You could just stick them in the brooder area, and that should shake up the pecking order enough to let the littles get established. Or you could wait until they’re bigger, but they’re probably outgrowing their present space, aren’t they? As I said earlier, that’s a really nice coop design, and I like that you have a built in brooder. Very efficient that way.

I have 6 hens and 7 pullets - 13 all together.
The new coop is 8 by 12. The area for the hens is 7 .5 by 7.5. About 60 sq feet in coop area for hens. 14 plus feet of roosts for 13 birds. With 2 secure attached outdoor areas for littles and older hens. Shared fenced in larger yard about 30 feet by 40 feet. Plenty of space. Then we free range while we are outside with them. I have a shed with a built in area for sick birds and brooder as well. I used this before we built this one. I been using it for a time out for the Pima Donna one. So my husband said add a higher roost for the queen be. Add two smaller roosts for littles- seems a bit over the top.
I like your idea. Thanks

 

[Bigbluefrog]

Thanks! This is our new design. I like that I can walk in and do health checks. The poop boards keep it cleaner. I use wood shavings on them.
In the open yard I made lots of hiding places. The little ones are not so little anymore and I tried to make the doorway just big enough for them. The hens get into the littles run and eat their food. I don’t remember it being this challenging last time- I had 7 pullets and 4 hens. The older hens age 4 are fine- normal pecking behavior. Too slow to catch them anyway.
I know this could be in chicken behavior but I am looking to see if you would add more roosts lower ? Or don’t bother?
I can definitely separate the hens if need be.

 

[aart]

Okay so I couldn’t post movie.

Vids need to be uploaded to youtube, or similar platform, then paste a link here.

I always had a separate and slightly lower roost for younger birds....it eliminated a lot of drama.

 

[Bigbluefrog]

Vids need to be uploaded to youtube, or similar platform, then paste a link here.

I always had a separate and slightly lower roost for younger birds....it eliminated a lot of drama.

Thanks I was thinking of doing that. I love the idea of same height roosts till the littles came along- LOL well now we are thinking of adding a lower roost. Temporary or permanent it is after all just a place to sleep. With the higher roosts over a poop board we keep most of the floor space for them.

 

[Bigbluefrog]

Okay I added a 7 ft roost lower without a poop board and a plank to walk across on. Littles are exploring coop without big girls

 

[Bigbluefrog]

Okay I added a 7 ft roost lower without a poop board and a plank to walk across on. Littles are exploring coop without big girls

Won’t be tonight though! I prefer to be home Incase it gets ugly in there.
We do have plenty of room for the 13 chickens. I don’t plan on adding more next year as some go I try to keep 13 - 14 maximum.
Appreciate the feedback. Lower roost can easily be removed and stored once the littles reach the same size.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Sounds good! Yes, there’s plenty of room for everybody, and even some extra room for chicken math All you have to do now is keep a close eye on them, like you said.