Fighting in the corner??? WHY???

[richchicks]

Since putting our chicks into the coop (out of the brooder), every morning I go out to check on them I have found poo in the front corner. I found it strange, but just thought they likened that place to "go". Went out to the coop last night at dusk (to check on the new chicks), only to find my other six chickens "fighting" over the corner. Literally climbing, over and under each other to (what seemed like) get to the corner. ??? Almost like they were fighting over a roosting spot. They have really nice, spacious roosts. I know they are big enough to get on them as there is poo on the poo shelf. I even tried placing a couple of the larger birds on the roosts. They immediately hopped off and ran to the corner. These birds are fully feathered now and I have no guess as to their age. I have had them for 5 weeks and the lady I bought them from said they were "a few days old"???? Questionable......



I am confused....any one with any suggestions?

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is no telling when brooder raised chicks will start roosting. I've had some start about 5 weeks, but more normal is around 12 weeks. Some people on this forum report a much later start.

Until they start to roost, they sleep in a group, usually on the floor but I have seen some try it in a nest, epecially when they are transitioning from the floor to the roost and there are mature chcikens sleeping on the roost. My chicks always sleep in a corner of the coop. Maybe they feel better protected with a couple of solid walls next to them.

 

[richchicks]

Thanks for the info Ridgerunner. I did actually put a lil roost in the brooder(box), as a couple of the birds seemed to want to always be on the top of the box. I do not know if they used it at night or just when I was in the coop?

Seems like an exhausting process from what I saw them doing last night!!

 

[Pele]

I agree with RidgeRunner. This is completely normal and very common behavior. They're actually fighting to be at the bottom of the pile so they can have the others sitting on them and keeping them warm and cozy.

Brooder raised chicks just don't sleep on roosts at first. They're weird like that. Don't worry though, it'll eventually happen.

 

[mommabice]

My brooder raised babies are all sleeping on the roost now at 7 weeks (from what I can tell when I go peek at them after dark). However, they are fighting to be in one spot on the roost...like a puppy pile. They are still trying to pile up, only on this one spot on the roost by the wall. The roost is more than big enough for them...they just don't want to spread out. I guess they decided the wall spot was the prime roost spot.

I just put it down to the fact that chickens are weird. Funny and weird.