Chickens are jerks

[tsperry88]

I enjoy watching my flock fight over where on the roost they want to sleep, but I feel bad for some of them. I think its normal and healthy, so I try not to interfere, but they are quite aggressive. The poop board is about 8" under the roost which gives them a platform to jostle from. I just watched one of the bigger chickens grab the littlest by the neck feather and pull it off the roost. Some get pecked hard on the head until they move. Lots of squawking and drama. They squish into the walls and leave the entire center of the roost open. Are my birds normal or extra jerkish.

 

[sourland]

As you are learning the chicken social order can be like 'mean girls in high school.' Your birds are behaving normally.

 

[Molly Mojo]

Mine are still establishing order I think. I’m not sure which one is the new top, since the last one was killed 2-3 weeks ago.

Then they had to get used to a new, bigger, further from the house, coop.

Who knows?

Lots of jostling in my flock still. Some of them still want to snuggle under bigger girls. Still some pushing and readjusting.

They are settling down sooner though. I’m smiling.

 

[SnootyHen]

Timing is everything! I watched mine go to roost tonight and they're a bunch of mean girls!!! Karen is the WORST!! She actually knocked 2 of them off the highest roost and then blocked the way when they tried to get back up. Raise your hand if you have been personally victimized by Regina George!!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Completely normal. Each bird has preferred spots or preferred "neighbors" and they'll fuss and knock each other off and walk on top of each other to try to get to where they want to go. Especially now that I have chicks, it's a circus - chicks roost first and then all get forced off, and after all the hens get settled, here comes the chicks again, trying to forcibly stuff themselves all into one gap.

 

[tsperry88]

I assumed they were acting normal. They get along great during the day. Where they sleep on that roost is apparently a huge deal to them. I have windows behind the roost. I don't know if they like to be up against the wall because it's furthest from the windows, or if they have some other reason.

 

[CatsandCrops]

Normal behaviors; mine actually calmed down with their nighttime fighting after we processed the rooster, I mean, after the rooster ran away, which is what we told all the ladies.

 

[tsperry88]

My rooster hasn't had his hormones kick in I don't think. He is the calmest of the bunch. Nobody picks on him and he rarely picks on the others. Just picks a spot on the roost and stays there.

 

[CatsandCrops]

My rooster hasn't had his hormones kick in I don't think. He is the calmest of the bunch. Nobody picks on him and he rarely picks on the others. Just picks a spot on the roost and stays there.

Ours was the same way prior to hormones then once those hit; none of the hens wanted to be near him on the roost. We were actually having issues with them even going into the coop at night which is something we had not experienced before.

 

[Clousic Chicks]

I'm so glad I read these posts! I've been really worried about my young ones and the big mamas! I put my young ones (just four of them) in the big coop when they were 16 weeks. There wasn't a blood bath, but my two Australorp hens (2 years old) immediately pulled out the tail feathers of one of my Sapphire Gems and my poor Golden Lace Wyandotte is sleeping on the floor! The two can severely pick on the young ones, too. They are now 18 weeks so I'm hoping things will calm down. The Midnight Majesty Maran is really picked on and she's going to be larger than the Australorps--she's already taller. So thank you!