Are hens mean and aggressive before they start laying?

[shaggy]

first the that popped into my head was "pms"

then ...... "sounds like it could be true"

 

[snorkelies]

I may be able to continue the run under the coop and off to the other side for another 3x4.5 of low space under the coop, and probably 3x5 of full size run on the other side of the coop. I don't think I'll be able to expand the coop at all, though, but I think they like being outside better anyway. Do you think it would be ok having a larger run, but still a slightly small coop (it is never below freezing here, so they can always go outside)?

Any problems with having the run go under the coop?

I am watching all 4 chickens peck around outside happily right now eating treats, no one is bothering anyone else. I think they will be fine, I may hold off a while before expanding their accommodations if they seem to adjust ok in a reasonable amount of time (if they all start acting content, is it safe to assume they are ok with their setup?)

 

[snorkelies]

Oh, and for the better part of the last month or 2 we have had the barred rock isolated from the others entirely during the day (I would put her in the coop after the others had roosted for the night, and take her out first thing in the morning before anyone had gotten down off the roost - none of them seemed bothered by this system).

I like to think she has PMS. Or maybe it's more like pregnancy hormones, even better!

Current plan: keep them together as long as there is no blood, if I see blood I'll start separating the big one again. I'll keep doing this until they are all full grown.

Once they are full grown, if there are still problems, I will expand the run. If there are still problems, I'll figure out some way to get them more coop space (maybe just have a little additional closed area within the run ? Everyone seems fine sleeping at night, so I'm not too concerned about their roosting).

 

[snorkelies]

Just an update, in case anyone has a similar situation in the future.

2 days after my post, the Big Chicken did in fact lay her first egg. Things have been pretty calm and pleasant since then. There obviously is some normal chicken aggression, but nothing like before. They will actually all sit outside together pecking around in the dirt, and happily roost on their perch together. Maybe it had to do with chicken PMS, or maybe it was just a matter of time, but everything is just fine now. So there is always hope!

And on a totally unrelated note, Big Chicken appears to be laying 2 eggs at a time... Yes, I know that is not supposed to be possible, but after the 4th pair of eggs popped out, I am beginning to have my suspicions as to whether Big Chicken defies the laws of Chicken Physiology. I had just been in the coop 2 minutes before, and when I came back in, there were 2 warm eggs in the middle of a nice nest she had made. Every other day 2 eggs pop out, and I'm pretty sure it is not the 3 month olds laying eggs... But, I digress.