Everyone now getting kicked off roost

[leighks]

I have had a rooster and 5 hens who were raised together since they were a few days old, they are now 1.5 years.

Sadly and unexpectedly this past Monday my wonderful buff Orpington Daffodil, who was also the head hen, passed away. Since then my SLW Daisy has taken over as the new head hen (she was #2 before). Everyone gets along all day, but when it comes to roosting at night, Daisy won’t let the others on the roost at all- she pecks their back or feet until they jump down. The roost is around 5’ long, so plenty of space. The rooster is in a separated area, so he roosts alone there, and my lowest ranking hen chooses to roost alone on a back roost. So it’s Daisy vs. my 2 middle ranking hens on the roost.

Any suggestions on how to remedy this situation? Or will it work itself out soon, since Daffodil has only been gone a few days? All the current roosts are in front of windows and there are no other windows to put a new roost in front of. The last few nights I have gone in and physically put myself between Daisy and the 2 other hens until it’s too dark for them to see and fight. Before Daffodil passed away, roosting shenanagins were kept to a minimum. She was a model head hen and is truely missed!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I have no real solutions, but just posted on another thread in this forum about my policing of roosting so that the silkies get a spot away from the ducks without bossy hens chasing them down. I have tons of empty roost space and ridiculous roosting shenanigans. Clearly, I can’t keep being the roosting police either!

 

[SueT]

Can you add more roosts? Or arrange dividers? I had to do both, solves roosting issues.
Dividers can be made from wood, feed bags, cardboard etc.
Here's a thread w pics of various dividers:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/removed-a-hen-from-the-coop.1210731/page-2#post-19264626

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Very cool thread with the dividers! I have two sets of roosts, two are side by side, and none use the lower set. The others are across from one another, so big chickens (6 months) fly over to harass little (4 month) chickens right across from them. Maybe I could just chain them to their roosts... JK! My biggest problem is that integrating these groups has not gone great, although it’s been months. The Bigs only kind of accept the Littles, and seem to constantly want to boss them around, even though Littles are very subordinate to them. I could put a divider between the two side by side roost sets, then place silkies on the lowest roost and see if Bigs would leave them alone there. Thanks!

 

[Shorty22366]

Let rooster in to roost with them. He will put a stop to her bullying if he does his job.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Let rooster in to roost with them. He will put a stop to her bullying if he does his job.

Yeah, I was hoping our roo would do a little more in that department... So far, our 6 mo roo does not mediate disputes between the 6 mo old laying hens, which could be why the lowest ranking 6 mo hen is so bossy to the Littles, because the other hens try to kick her off the roost too. Roo does not treat the 4 mo pullets as part of his flock anyway, but he doesn’t attack them either. He treats them like the ducks, as incidental creatures...

 

[aart]

Any suggestions on how to remedy this situation? Or will it work itself out soon, since Daffodil has only been gone a few days?

I'd add cock/erel back in with flock...or just let it run it's course.

 

[Coykoi]

They are determining a new pecking order and your bossy girl is telling the others to respect her authority. They will eventually settle in to the new order. I agree that unless there's a problem, let the rooster in with them. My girls maneuver over who gets to snuggle up to the rooster. If he's a problem to be in with the whole population you could try putting the picked-on girls in with the rooster, but this will mean that the bossy girl will take longer to leave the others alone.

 

[Chickassan]

I'd put the rooster back too, often the lowest hens will use him as an abuse buffer. It won't take long before he will stop the brunt of the pecking, no fun being the whipping boy.

 

[leighks]

I’m the OP, and here’s why the rooster is separated:
1. He’s ppl aggressive
2. He’s more aggressive when with the hens
3. He has mated the hens bare and he was stressing them out
4. He was a roost bully too!

He’s lucky he ended up a pet at a vegetarian’s farm. Most ppl would have made him dinner by now! Since he’s been separated he has become much more manageable, and I’m working with him on some training- he’s quite smart. Anyways...
Yes I may consider putting him back in BUT...
First I will give the other things a try. Easiest would be to try one of the dividers. It may resolve itself soon enough, but if I can do something to help resolve it I would like to try. Over the weekend I will try to come up with another roosting area too.
Thank you!