Bedtime rituals of the chicken kind

[HennyPenny44]

I was just curious if anyone else has experienced something similar. It’s my first time owning chickens and mine are 10 weeks old, 5 in total, each a different breed.

It took them a few days to figure out that they should go into the coop at sunset but now that they have, I’m starting to detect a pattern. The first one to come into the coop every time is my Easter Egger, followed by the Speckled Sussex. Barred Rock then follows and my Buff Orpington finally figures it out after much goofing off and comes in too. The last one EVERY TIME is my Black Australorp. She always chirps distressingly as if she doesn’t understand everyone is already in the coop. Sometimes, the Easter Egger and/or Speckled Sussex come to get her. Once she makes it in, the Easter Egger checks and sometimes double checks the run to make sure that nobody’s left in the run. I call her my responsible chicken, hee hee. Then I shut their chicken door for the night.

Is this typical of flocks and is this in any way related to pecking order? I still haven’t figured that out yet. If anything, it’s pretty comical.

 

[azygous]

Yes, it's typical. There always is a dominant one, a timid one, and those in between. As they grow into adulthood, the others will take their cue from the dominant bird as to when to go to bed.

My flock is established with mature hens eight to eleven years old, two roosters, pullets around five months, and those in between. Most of the time the two roosters hang out outside the run, and the girls all linger in the run until I let them in. They take their cue from the older rooster and all go in to roost.

 

[so lucky]

Even in an all-girl flock, there will be one who is in charge, so to speak. Usually she will be the last one in, but if you have a goofy one, like I do, who runs in and out a dozen times, the last one in may be difficult to discern.
And the fights about roost space, oh my. World war 3 every evening, then suddenly it's over and they are all quiet.

 

[HennyPenny44]

Yes, it's typical. There always is a dominant one, a timid one, and those in between. As they grow into adulthood, the others will take their cue from the dominant bird as to when to go to bed.

My flock is established with mature hens eight to eleven years old, two roosters, pullets around five months, and those in between. Most of the time the two roosters hang out outside the run, and the girls all linger in the run until I let them in. They take their cue from the older rooster and all go in to roost.

Yes, I definitely notice those personality types in my chickens but find it curious that the one in charge doesn’t seem to be at the top of the pecking order.

 

[HennyPenny44]

Even in an all-girl flock, there will be one who is in charge, so to speak. Usually she will be the last one in, but if you have a goofy one, like I do, who runs in and out a dozen times, the last one in may be difficult to discern.
And the fights about roost space, oh my. World war 3 every evening, then suddenly it's over and they are all quiet.

Yes, that’s my Easter Egger...the goofy one. She always visits the coop when I clean out the droppings every morning unlike the others. But I think the barred rock is at the top of the pecking order. With roost space, mine all try to cram into the same 24 inches of one roost. They climb under each other and subsequently knock each other off the roost. Too funny!

 

[azygous]

My rooster isn't at the top of my flock's social order, but all of the hens will stand outside the coop like passengers waiting for a bus until he comes in and leads them into the coop.

Only chicken completely understand their system.

 

[HennyPenny44]

My rooster isn't at the top of my flock's social order, but all of the hens will stand outside the coop like passengers waiting for a bus until he comes in and leads them into the coop.

Only chicken completely understand their system.

Hilarious visual.

 

[Lesjr883]

I have a SLW that is top Hen. She is the first one in the coop and the first one out in the morning. She is very noisy until all the girls are in the coop. My new Roo is only 7 weeks old and not with the flock yet. Should be fun introducing him.

 

[chickens really]

Strange because mine just go in and out and definitely have a special place in my Coop to sleep each night. Definitely not a set order. My Rooster might be already roosting before all go inside to Roost..

 

[so lucky]

Strange because mine just go in and out and definitely have a special place in my Coop to sleep each night. Definitely not a set order. My Rooster might be already roosting before all go inside to Roost..

That is a little strange. Is he a good roo in other ways? Is he quite young?