3 go into coop and 3 stay out...silkies

[Rachela]

We have 3 silkies from one breeder who are going on 20 weeks old (brought home at 16 weeks). We also have 3 silkies from another breeder at around 14 weeks (brought home at 12 weeks old)

The older 3 go into the coop every night and every night the youngest 3 I have to put into the coop. There is a bit of dominance with the older 3 but not to a point of blood draw and there is one of the younger that has stood up to this.

Anyway....looking for recommendations to get the youngest 3 into the coop at night. It’s a small ramp and I’ve already shown them during the day how to walk up.

 

[Vickischics]

The bully might be guarding the door not allowing them to enter. You might have to remove her to get the pecking order re-organized. Thats my thought. In the meantime, keep putting them in.
Hopefully an expert on the subject will be on the BYC site and tell you what to do.

 

[aart]

Integration issues.
How did you introduce the new birds?
How big is the coop, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics, inside and out, would help here.

RoostTimeRumble is the most contentious part of the day.
Can you sit and watch this process?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree, more info would help us come up with specific suggestions. Size in feet and layout of the coop, photos inside and out, and where do the older ones sleep inside that coop. Since Silkies can't fly some of my normal suggestions may not work. Thanks for mentioning that they are all Silkies, that might be important information.

With those age differences it is pretty normal with my flock that if the immature ones invade the personal space of the more mature ones they are likely to get pecked. They can mingle some but typically they form two sub-flocks, avoiding each other during the day and sleeping separately at night. I have enough room outside that they can easily manage that out there. Inside the coop I also have a lot of room but mine fly up to roosts. I have a main roost for the adults and a separate roost lower down, above the nests, and horizontally separated from the main roosts so the juveniles have a safe place to go that is not my nests.

When they mature enough they move to the main roosts on their own, usually really peacefully. But like Aart, if mine are going to be disruptive bedtime is the most likely time. So I'm really interested in where the more mature ones sleep and what alternatives that gives the younger ones.

 

[Rachela]

Thank you all. The 3 older always pile by the front door on the ground on the opposite side of the coop/run door. I’ve watched them go in and night and find they have piled in a corner away from the run door. The other younger 3 are grazing in the run then start piling together in a corner not bothering to go up into the coop.

 

[aart]

Thank you all. The 3 older always pile by the front door on the ground on the opposite side of the coop/run door. I’ve watched them go in and night and find they have piled in a corner away from the run door. The other younger 3 are grazing in the run then start piling together in a corner not bothering to go up into the coop.

So the olders are not blocking the pop door?

 

[Rachela]

So the olders are not blocking the pop door?

They aren’t but you all are asking great questions and it has me thinking...the 3 older like hanging out inside the coop a lot during the day even and the youngest haven’t had the opportunity as much with the oldest in there. I’m going to lock up the youngest today inside and push the older outside to let themselves feel more at home inside.