Another Problem....

[rosemarysugar]

OK, this has been going on to long now! I have 9 2y old hens, two 20 week old pullets, and one 20 week old rooster. They have been mingling together for about 13 weeks. I have NO idea on how to get them to all sleep in one coop! The older hens chase and peck the little girls and ( sometimes ) the rooster, other than that they get alone OK. Right now the younger ones are roosting garage and the hens sleep in the coop. But I can't keep them in the garage forever! How can I get them in the coop preferably without dead chickens in the morning?!?!?!
ANY ADVICE HELPS!!!!
Here are some photos of our coop.

 

[bobbi-j]

No photos showing. How big is your coop (in feet x feet)? How much roost space is there?

 

[rosemarysugar]

No photos showing. How big is your coop (in feet x feet)? How much roost space is there?

Try reloading.

 

[bobbi-j]

Try reloading.

Found them. How big is your coop? How many feet of roost space? I can't quite tell - do you have an attached run?

 

[SueT]

Can you add another roost? The youngers need their own roost....

 

[rosemarysugar]

Found them. How big is your coop? How many feet of roost space? I can't quite tell - do you have an attached run?

3 48" roosts, no run they have a large yard instead.

 

[feathermaid]

48" roost, no run they have a large yard instead.

You're already getting 9 birds to roost on a 48" roost? That's amazing. You should be offering 12" per bird if they're not bantams. You might need a new coop, or a much bigger one. Generally, 12 chickens will need 12 feet of roost. I'm not sure if you'll ever get them all to fit in the coop you have.
check this link:
How Much Room Do Chickens Need

 

[rosemarysugar]

You're already getting 9 birds to roost on a 48" roost? That's amazing. You should be offering 12" per bird if they're not bantams. You might need a new coop, or a much bigger one. Generally, 12 chickens will need 12 feet of roost. I'm not sure if you'll ever get them all to fit in the coop you have.
check this link:
How Much Room Do Chickens Need

Oh NO! We have 3 48" roosts.

 

[SueT]

Oh NO! We have 3 48" roosts.

Even if it seems like there's plenty of roost room, it doesn't mean they'll ever share. I would add yet another roost, lower than the others. And I actually put dividers on roosts to maintain peace....

 

[Mrs. K]

Try this, place two cement blocks on the floor of the coop, and stick a post in the top hole so that the roost is maybe 8 inches off the ground.You could run it in the opposite direction of the roosts above it, that should give the littles roost space, and be out of reach of the older birds.

Wait until they head to the garage, and roost, and pick them up off those roosts and put them on the make shift roost. Leave the pop up door to the run open if you can. If you can't get out there early in the morning, do that for two nights, and then lock of the garage so they can't get in there. They should go to the coop.

I would expect that once they home on the coop, they will eventually work their way on to the higher roosts, and you can pull the make shift one out.

Do not get more chickens you unless you get a bigger coop or cull some birds, you are way over for a 4x4 coop. I have full sized 12 birds, and I am pretty tight in a 4 x 8 coop with some creative roosting.

MRs K