Bedtime issues

[Ruf Chicks]

I have three 1 year old girls and four 12 week old girls. My littles sleep on a roost out in the run due to one of the older girls who is a bully. Even after dark, the moment I try to put one of the littles in the coop, she comes down off the roost to peck them. In need of ideas of what I can do to work this out. I need the littles sleep in the coop before winter gets here Outside of bed time, they all get along fine in the run and free ranging. The coop can easily fit all 7 of them, however I have only 1 roosting bar in the coop.

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

If there's a spot to put another roost it may fix the problem. It's a pecking order thing and they can be extremely OCD over it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You need more than one roost. A minimum distance of 5 feet seems to be the distance between them to keep aggression low. How big is your coop?

 

[Ruf Chicks]

You need more than one roost. A minimum distance of 5 feet seems to be the distance between them to keep aggression low. How big is your coop?

About 5 feet long and 7 wide. I have room that we can put up another roost. Guess I'll try that next.

Do you think putting the little ones in before dark/the big ones would help? It seems like once the big girls are in they are like, nope, no way, not going in there.

 

[Ruf Chicks]

If there's a spot to put another roost it may fix the problem. It's a pecking order thing and they can be extremely OCD over it.

I figured. It's just one girl causing the problem and she's not even the one who gets to roost first Thanks

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

lol..She may be at the bottom of the big girls group. She's holding her spot!

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

Good luck to ya! I have to get to bed.Y'all have a great night!

 

[pennyJo1960]

from Mossyrock, Washington state.. if you have a dog crate or way to block off the bully for a day or two then let the babies have their roost put the bully back after two or three days she wont be top dog anymore

 

[pennyJo1960]

me too nite all

 

[Ruf Chicks]

Thanks everyone! I'll break it to my husband tomorrow that I have a roost hanging project for him.