Bedtime is a nightmare

[imnukensc]

Try pinless peepers on the bullies. Worked for me.

 

[pennyJo1960]

To start, I have 21 birds and it takes them a grand total (from first end to last end) of an HOUR for them all to go in. The coop is an old camper converted into a chicken coop, so it only has one entry, which I know is part of the problem. The problem is that every bird will stand in the damn entrance and not allow anyone else in until they're finished eating their 90th meal of the day, as slowly as possible.

I know it's pecking order, but half my birds are standing outside in the darkness waiting for them to eat, and it's dangerous. I have moved the feeder further inside. I've moved it to the far corner so it's not even in the doorway. I've left it outside. No matter what, they will still just stand in the doorway pecking at food and shavings if there's no food.

God forbid one of them get pecked off the perch and come flying out at 90 miles an hour and then circle the coop for 20 minutes before going back in.

I get it's what chickens do... but it's absolutely infuriating watching them take so dang long to go inside purely because my flock is full of jerks.

A full duck flock is looking better every night!

Aside from somehow adding another entrance which probably isn't likely, what can I do? 5 of these birds will be rehomed at a later date, but this problem existed well before this years hatchlings joined in.

There are two hens in particular that are making this worse. I'm about ready to grab them and throw them outside until the rest of the flock goes in before allowing them into the coop.

21 birds in an old camper how big is it maybe part of you issue

 

[Feathers Brady]

I'm not big on interfering the order of chicken bedtime but, if you have pin pointed two hen being the biggest culprits, I'd locate them on the roost first or hold them back until the others move on. I'd do this or the other for a few nights . Also, I wouldn't give them an option on feed or treats at roost time.
Good luck!

 

[arrowti]

21 birds in an old camper how big is it maybe part of you issue

The inside of the camper was gutted for maximum space. It's a 24 foot so subtracting the walls and the inaccessible length space I'd say 20 feet long by 6 feet wide. There are 4 separate roosts - the young chicks have claimed one roost, 1 adult roo and the 2 16 week olds have claimed a second, the bantam roo and about 5 hens have claimed the third, a couple more hens claimed the fourth, and a the hen who broke her toe a few years back prefers roosting on the nesting boxes with her two friends.

We used to house 30+ hens in this coop a few years back, but those were 30 nice and rather calm hens... when it comes to space I know personality really contributes, and most of these girls don't have a nice one!

I tried not to interfere but today I got frustrated with the two 16 week olds purposely standing in the doorway pecking the dirt while two 12 week olds stood outside freaking out so I might have given them both a slap on the butt. "Might"....

 

[Mylied]

Why do you have to watch them go to bed? Just go out like an hour after dark and lock up, if that's what you're doing. If they are free range and you are afraid of something getting them at dusk before you can lock up, things get free range birds during the day too. I've only lost birds during the day, never at dusk or night.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Yep that’s what I did. My older hen did the same thing. So get your trouble makers. Keep them out till everyone else is in. Wait until it’s pitch black then put them in. I had to do this a total of three times for it to work. You could even leave them out (if predators can’t get them) overnight. Better get them squared away before it gets too cold. Best wishes

 

[Biddybot]

Do you feed scratch grain and have a set time to do so? If you do, scattering it widely in their run and penning them in if they've been out foraging about half a hour before they'd want to start going in anyway in the evening might help. The lower ranking birds quickly learn that this is their one chance to fill up on grain and tend to grab their share as quickly as possible while the dominant birds are preoccupied. Since the subordinates thus finish eating earlier, they should have a chance to get inside after that without being too hassled and a fair number will learn to do so while they can, even if they'd like to stay outside longer. I only have little popholes for the chickens to enter their respective indoor pens too so know about the annoyance of somebody's lingering right in the entrance and blocking traffic. My worst offenders are the buff orpingtons. They don't even seem to have a reason to stop dead when using their pophole sometimes. They just stand there, or worse, lie down, wearing a stunned expression while they contemplate their chickeny existence.

 

[arrowti]

My birds free-feed during the day from a feeder, but I've been tempted to get a second feeder to hide out back somewhere, so if the top hens are at one feeder the others can go to the second feeder and will be out of sight.

My RLRs are the worst! I have two EE hens that jump in and go to perch right away. They just peck each other on the roost a lot.

I don't really have a reason to want them to go in at a certain time. I guess I'd just rather not make a second trip (one to put the ducks in, and another to shut in the chickens an hour later). I'm lazy.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Can you remove the two hens from the flock and put them in a separate area for a day or two and then re-introduce them to the flock (using integration methods). That way they have to reestablish their order in the flock?

 

[arrowti]

I can try. Would they need to be separate from each other as well or just separate from the flock?