And still nobody decides to help me!

[TheTwoRoos]

She’s doing normal stuff,nothing wrong with what she is doing.If she ain’t causing injury leave her be.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I have a ton of different ages in my flock.All from five weeks to six years old.I doubt age is the issue,just a new area and they need to set the bar.

 

[RWise]

This is just pecking order, as long as nobody is getting injured, let them figure it out. She is telling them she is the boss and they will learn to listen (move away and let her have whatever)
Again as long as nobody is getting injured, let them figure it out.

Edit my youngest is 4 weeks old, and the oldest is going on 9YO, and everything between

 

[Bettyboop7499]

But when I tried to put her on the roost with the younger ones she pecked at one of them

Hello,
May I ask, why are you putting her on the roost? What happens if you just let herself alone and let her choose where to either roost or sleep on the floor of the coop which most likely will not happen. I haven't had any pecking issues with my flock yet but I've read a lot of articles and advice on BYC and I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night so.. Do you have different roosting areas, one for the older hens and one for the younger ones. I have two roost so there are options and if one is having trouble they can roost on the other one.

Hope you have found the answer to the problem. Take care!

 

[keesmom]

1. Provide more than one feeder and waterer. She can only be one place at a time to guard resources.
2. Let them all get on the roost on their own. Even in an established flock there's a lot of pecking at roost time As long as she isn't drawing blood leave them be.

 

[feathermaid]

But when I tried to put her on the roost with the younger ones she pecked at one of them

There shouldn't be any reason to place an adult hen on the roost unless she got left outside in the dark or is undesirably sleeping in the nest box. She should be perfectly capable of getting up there all by herself in her own time.

My chickens all get up on the roost bar at different times during the evening. Leaving the chickens to do their own thing is always best. Pecking is normal behavior. Not roosting at night could be a sign of an illness or old age.

 

[NinjaChicken617]

There shouldn't be any reason to place an adult hen on the roost unless she got left outside in the dark or is undesirably sleeping in the nest box. She should be perfectly capable of getting up there all by herself in her own time.

My chickens all get up on the roost bar at different times during the evening. Leaving the chickens to do their own thing is always best. Pecking is normal behavior. Not roosting at night could be a sign of an illness or old age.

Thank you for this. We had 6 10-week pullets and lost one to a hawk last week (it was awful!). Our coop holds 8, and we have a friend who raises chickens for sale, so after we beefed up security in the outer run we picked up 3 more girls from her this week. She only had 1 that was the same age as our girls (a Dominique), but she had a buff orpington who is 7 weeks and an ancona who is 12 weeks. We took all 3 figuring that their ages are close enough. Our 2 RI reds have been picking on the little orpie. She's holding her own, though, and they're not keeping her from eating or drinking. The "new" girls go to bed much earlier than the others, and the little isn't yet roosting at night, but she goes inside with the others. Our original group slept in a corner of the coop rather than roosting until they were about 8 weeks, so I'm not too worried about it. She'll find her place and there is plenty of space for her. It's hard to watch the bigger girls picking on her, but they haven't injured her so I'm inclined to let them all work it out. It sounds like I'm doing the right thing.

 

[Chickassan]

Older hen is going to peck young ones, that is just the chicken way. At roost time pecking and pushing are also very normal. Young birds need their own roost or a divider, it is a respect thing they haven't earned the right to roost with the older hen. They aren't viable flock members to her yet just another mouth eating her food and taking her space. Make a kiddie roost or an out of sight out of mind divider for bedtime peace. You won't need either in a few months, but it will help for now until you have to deal with the next drama....hormones.

 

[NinjaChicken617]

Older hen is going to peck young ones, that is just the chicken way. At roost time pecking and pushing are also very normal. Young birds need their own roost or a divider, it is a respect thing they haven't earned the right to roost with the older hen. They aren't viable flock members to her yet just another mouth eating her food and taking her space. Make a kiddie roost or an out of sight out of mind divider for bedtime peace. You won't need either in a few months, but it will help for now until you have to deal with the next drama....hormones.

How funny that I read this just after I came in from closing up the coop for the night. The little orpie was up on the roost with the rest of the girls, snuggled up right next to the ancona. There have been no sounds of kerfluffle tonight, like there has been the past 2 nights, so it seems like they've at least gotten the sleeping arrangements all worked out. Fingers crossed!

 

[Chickassan]

That's great! Your little one must be getting closer to being accepted as a flock member. One step closer to semi peacefulness.

How funny that I read this just after I came in from closing up the coop for the night. The little orpie was up on the roost with the rest of the girls, snuggled up right next to the ancona. There have been no sounds of kerfluffle tonight, like there has been the past 2 nights, so it seems like they've at least gotten the sleeping arrangements all worked out. Fingers crossed!