Ever feel like your raising a bunch of teenage girls (instead of hens)

[gritsar]

I went out to the coop at roost time, just in time to referree a roost fight. I speak fluent chicken, so I can translate for you:

Stop touching my wings!
You're sitting too close!
That's my roost! You better move or I'm telling!
It's my turn to sit next to Thor!
You're touching me again!
I get this spot cuz I laid the prettiest egg today!
Hey! Let go of my comb!
I'm telling!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gee whiz Brigid, would you shut up! I'm trying to sleep here!

I actually saw my darling, sweet little Lil' Bit grab one of my largest hens (Jezebel) by the comb and body slam her to the floor.

 

[lngrid]

Thank you. That was very adorable.

 

[redhen]

Funny because its SO true..

 

[Tala]

I guess I just have a rather easy to please bunch of birds. Doesn't seem like they're too picky, although there's enough space that nobody has to touch anybody. They might get grouchier when the 4 young pullets move to the big coop

 

[canada-goose]

Chickens can be brutal but they're always entertaining in one way or another.

 

[duck walk]

OMG NO KIDDING! I can hear them all the way to the house squabbling over roosting spots at bed time...it is hilarious...as soon as they quiet down and get settled I go out and shut the door...I have a frizzle who insists on sleeping under the roost...she wakes up every morning with her "hair" full of poop and just nasty dirty...what is up with that? She walks around all day preening, dust bathing and cleaning herself up only to repeat the process the next night by bedding down under the other girls on the floor...she gets on the roost during the day so it is not like she can not fly up there...but the arguing and shoving and falling off the roost as they get ready to sleep for the night is a laugh riot...lotta swearing going on out there...and there is plenty of room but they all want the same spot...just like the nests when they are laying...12 nests, 2 or 3 used and it is take a number and get in line...nothing funnier than a line of hens standing there crosslegged and fussing waiting their turn in the nest box...

 

[DDRanch]

Thank you so much for a much needed laugh !!!! You are so right!!!

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
Oh! I can so identify with all of that!

Here's a thought on how to maybe solve your little frizzles problem. Try putting a large bucket or something where she usually sleeps. Because it's in the way, she'll have to find another place to roost. No more poop, no more day long preening.

We're down to just 9 girls now

in a coop built to comfortably house approximately two dozen birds. There's not much in the way of fussing and fighting over roost space in the evening. Now, the nest box issue always remains. They all seem to want to lay in either "One North" or "One South" as we call them. Silly birds! 12 nest boxes to choose from and they have to want to all lay in the same box!

And then there's Clarissa! For some strange reason, she wants to lay her eggs on the floor!!

 

[pixie74943]

I Feel like a teacher at high school some days.. watching the 'cool' big girls pick on the wimpy new kid...

Except heres the secret.. One of the 'cool' girls is secret friends with the wimpy new kid, as long as the other cool girl isnt watching!!

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

I have some of the sweetest girls I've ever had, however at bedtime it's quite a different story. All the girls want to be next to the roo. They fuss, fight, and shove each other for about 30min every evening. It's funny to watch because the higher ranking ones are fighting so much that the two lowest ranking girls usually end up next to him. There is 20' of roost pole for them and they are all crammed on about 6' of it(all 13 of them). I guess they didn't understand the 10" to 12" of roost per chicken rule.