Hen attacking brooding hens

[Loyal Heights Poultry]

How many birds will you have total?
What does your coop look like now?
Pics can really help.
There are 3 good articles linked in my signature, they may help with your design.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

View attachment 1808563

Our coop is days away from being demolished and replaced, so I need to focus more on the dimensions of good replacement roosts/nests and the sizes they need and space they need. Right now we have an "upstairs" that they don't use, probably because the ramp is a pain in the neck and the upstairs was poorly designed and added after the first winter. That contains a roost and nest that nobody uses (though past chickens have).

The vague plan is to make a 4' wide, 8' long, 6' tall wire run cage which will get a corrugated plastic, angled top for shelter. I got my husband to kill the "dresser" apartment coops and instead build two coops side by side inside the run cage (there is also a side run that extends beneath some cypress trees). The coops will be raised maybe 12-18" and will be sheltered on at least three sides to protect the food under one and the waterer under another. Above that would be the roost/nest, ventilated in the back, peep window in front so we can see without opening in the winter, nest boxes on either side, roost in the middle. I need to read more about poop boards because we currently don't have any and it sounds like a good idea to implement. I'm thinking we'll end up with an isolation coop probably above and sheltering the dust bath. (Seattle, such horrible rainy Novembers). We are housing 9 chickens, so four or five in each inner coop. Plus the isolation coop above the dust bath. Depth dimensions are going to be key here to making sure the chickens use the coops and don't just hang out in the run cage.

Thanks for the detailed info on how to snap our broody hens out of their trance. I just need to secure a poultry nipple it looks like. Is there any special technique for sticking the poultry nipple in the water bottle? Or is it self explanatory?

Oh, and thanks for the gorgeous documentation of your coop and building advice. So glad to have experienced input into the new coops.

 

[Helloworld]

Hello,

We're experiencing a problem with a non-brooding hen attacking our brooding hens. Our Rhode Island Red is the one not brooding and the other two have taken up the preferred, previously shared nest. Our White Barred Plymouth Rock got up to take a walk in the run and the Rhode Island Red attacked her, jumping up and feet out. The other chicken responded the same way, so I had these chickens foot-jousting in the run. I ran out to break them up before someone got hurt. They stopped when I yelled at them and I stood over the run for several minutes and they stood side-by-side peacefully while I was playing referee. Then the Rhode Island Red took a little nip at the other's comb, but they seemed peaceful enough when I left.

Question: Is the chicken jousting a serious violent behavior or more posturing. I've had a hen-pecked death before and I couldn't bear to see it again.

Other Question: We are urgently designing a new coop to make room for our new chicks. We are planning on making "chicken apartments" basically a multi-layer design like a dresser so hens can choose from multiple roosting/nesting spots and we can get some separation. Would that work or would the chickens all fight over the "preferred" apartment or is it an unknown how they would respond to multiple roosting/nesting places? Would it be different if they were all at the same height, like a series of nightstands placed side-by-side?

All advice is appreciated.

No, just chickens being chickens. I would suggest place another nest box for poor hen who is sorely mad at the ones hogging the nest until you move to new cage. Some chickens! Lol I have chickens that will climb in a brooder’s nest and lay anyway. Sometimes I would see 2 in there with the brooder. So now, we move them to their nest cage. Always seem to have to move babies because that RIR still gonna be there when chicks are born. Lol it is what it is. As for danger, it really depends on both hens demeanor. Looks like your RIR has a “mean girl” trait!

 

[aart]

I just need to secure a poultry nipple it looks like. Is there any special technique for sticking the poultry nipple in the water bottle?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...nipple-waterer-for-wire-crates-by-aart.72704/

 

[Loyal Heights Poultry]

I've been really disappointed. My husband won't take the time to dislodge the broody birds until this weekend. I can't do it myself because I can't bend into where they are with my broken ankle. At least he's going out to get the lumber for the new coop and should be able to put a lot of it together this weekend.

What's really awful is that I've caught the poor Rhode Island Red (who is not broody) EATING EGGS! Probably her own because she doesn't have a good place to lay them? I hope it's a habit we can stop with an abundance of proper nesting boxes. Does anyone have any opinion on how likely it is that the RIR will stop eating eggs once the brooding and nesting situations are cleared up?