Coop Introduction.....3 new golden girls...

[Dash Riprock]

to the flock of 6. They range in the yard with the older girls, but they sleep in the laundry room. This has been going on for approx. 2.5 wks. My question is...What is the best way to get them involved in the nightly roost with the least amount of violence? They are beautiful and I don't want them to get pecked bald.

Golden Girls Age: 15 wkks

Coop size: 9 w x 9 l x 8 h.

Roost: 2 Tier at 4 ft per Tier. Stair Stepped...Approx 16" apart and 10" drop.

Lighting: 24/7 Low Wattage Red Light.


All input will be greatly appreciated.

(not feeling so cool, but highly apprehensive)

Dash

 

[LynneP]

Mine are golden comets, and they were very slow to roost. One thing you can do is provide scrap pieces of 4x4 directly on the coop floor and they will gather there, gradually moving to the roosts as their pecking order is establish and the older hens permit. They also like platforms and might gather on one in a younger sub-flock for the time being. I hope someone with more experience will leap in here, I don't think this is a behavior you can force, lest the younger ones get bullied. Oh and even when they matured, I gave the girls the old bits of 4x4 on a platform by the window. They still love to gather there and look out before nightfall!