How intense is your pecking order?

[KRack]

@TOMTE @Mrs. K

Setup attached. 9 foot x 18 foot run with 6 bantams (so 27 sqft/bird). Two feeders with visual blocks. Two waterers with partial visual block. Two dig boxes. One is a new "subterranean" style that allows them to get 6" down into the cool dirt. The other is a sand box that normally has a treat dispenser over it. That has been removed because it was making them insane over the sand box (even though the dispenser only went off once a day with whole-grain feed). I also use the sand box for their food kick ball. The 36 sqft jungle gym has 4 food trays that are only accessible from certain perches. I also have 2 poppy peck toys (you can see one hanging in the very front) with larger crumble that sit on opposite sides of the run. Those have also been removed temporarily. We scatter all flock pellets along the perimeter 2x/day for them to forage. Twice a week, I'll also scatter sprouts. They dust bathe everywhere in the mulch (literally everywhere ). Unfortunately, I cannot make the run bigger at this time. But my husband and I are discussing possible layout changes. Most things have to be placed centrally because that is the only section that stays bone dry. The left wall is empty most of the time because it both gets cooked in the sun and drenched in the rain. I intended to add a couple of large planters around it to jump on/hide around, but haven't gotten to it yet.

TLDR: 162 sqft covered run. Many, many ways to procure either crumble or pellets with fresh greens twice a week. I've only removed 2 enrichment items due to excessive aggression around them.

You have a beautiful set up! My chickens free range but I wanted to ask if any tall weeds have any chance of sprouting up in their run? I found this picture from someone else on BYC. My chickens have a lot of bushes, woods and high weeds to take cover in, that they much prefer over our porches and man-made things.

 

[EdgesideHomesteadTX]

Pecking order issues happens more frequently with confined roosterless flocks.
My flock can free range, dominant hens cannot guard anything because all resources are spread out.
If there is any major bully hen, the rooster will always break the fight.
Las time there was this pullet literally hunting for recently weaned chicks. The chicks were hiding in a bush and the older pullet was hunting them like a dog would hunt a hidden critter. She grabbed a chick eventually and as soon as the chick started screaming, the rooster immediately run with a mating charge and drove her away from the chicks, and gave her something else to entertain with.
When it's time to roost, the older dominant hens will enter the coop first and settle. Once they're settled, the lowest ranking chicks get in and find a roost for themselves.
My flock is peaceful because they free range. If I confined them in a coop & run, I'm 100% sure they would destroy each other.

Thats a great rooster you have there! Doing his job! I wish I could let ours free range but Hawks, eagles and a big German shepherd next door won't let us i had a hen in recovery of bumble foot jump the 6 foot fence somehow and she is no longer with us the neighbor came over and felt bad but that's honestly part of it... that was Saturday

 

[EdgesideHomesteadTX]

This is what I think. The breeding stock is just garbage. Two of my cochin bantams even came with neurological problems. What breeds are you keeping now?



We almost thought we had an accidental rooster, which I was a bit excited about for this reason. But no. Just a very red pullet. I'm fortunate that there's no real violence (they're literally cuddling in a pile right now), but perhaps I should lower my expectations on how peaceful a confined flock can be.

I believe this 100%!!

 

[thecatumbrella]

You have a beautiful set up! My chickens free range but I wanted to ask if any tall weeds have any chance of sprouting up in their run? I found this picture from someone else on BYC. My chickens have a lot of bushes, woods and high weeds to take cover in, that they much prefer over our porches and man-made things.

Thank you! That's so nice of you to say. Unfortunately, I keep the run too dry for weeds to sprout up. I'll bring them greens a couple times a week to try and make up for it, but I know it's not the same. I attempted to put actual plants in the run a couple years ago... that only lasted about 24 hours before the girls dismantled them.

You have an amazing space for yours!

I wish I could let ours free range but Hawks, eagles and a big German shepherd next door won't let us

I'm really sorry to hear about your loss. Both my immediate neighbors have large, untrained, off-leash dogs that frequently end up in my yard. Had a bear visit last week and a bobcat yesterday. Thank goodness for security cameras and my ability to scream at trespassing animals.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Had a bear visit last week and a bobcat yesterday.

There is a bobcat very near where my chickens free range. The dog has been harassing it and I have been using the area for target practice. I don’t want to kill it but it needs to rearrange its territory or I will be forced to rearrange it’s backside. It’s been here since before we got chickens so I am not surprised it’s getting closer to them. So far so good.

 

[EdgesideHomesteadTX]

Thank you! That's so nice of you to say. Unfortunately, I keep the run too dry for weeds to sprout up. I'll bring them greens a couple times a week to try and make up for it, but I know it's not the same. I attempted to put actual plants in the run a couple years ago... that only lasted about 24 hours before the girls dismantled them.

You have an amazing space for yours!

I'm really sorry to hear about your loss. Both my immediate neighbors have large, untrained, off-leash dogs that frequently end up in my yard. Had a bear visit last week and a bobcat yesterday. Thank goodness for security cameras and my ability to scream at trespassing animals.

Thank you. Whew! Bears we don't have, thank goodness. Bobcats we do but no sightings yet we did have a skunk that was a problem, but we took care of that. And we have well behaved beagles, my girl beagle is always at the chain link fence barking like mad at that German shepherd when she's prowling and watching our chickens, lol my beagle doesn't know she's not a big dog!

 

[thecatumbrella]

There is a bobcat very near where my chickens free range. The dog has been harassing it and I have been using the area for target practice. I don’t want to kill it but it needs to rearrange its territory or I will be forced to rearrange it’s backside. It’s been here since before we got chickens so I am not surprised it’s getting closer to them. So far so good.

We've been here 8 years and have never seen a bobcat until this week. I'm mostly worried about it ramming into the pen and damaging it. Big cats are amazing, but they freak me out! What a good dog you have, keeping it at bay. I hope it takes the hint soon.

I'm thinking of adding a low wall to the open sides of the pen. Hopefully, it will help block the chickens from predators AND maybe soothe some of their generalized anxiety. I mean, they still get upset when the wind blows. We already use a permanent shade cloth along the back for this purpose.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

What a good dog you have, keeping it at bay. I hope it takes the hint soon.

Good is debatable. Overly-curious more like. She sticks her nose places it doesn’t belong. Like snake holes

 

[EdgesideHomesteadTX]

I believe this 100%!!

This is what I think. The breeding stock is just garbage. Two of my cochin bantams even came with neurological problems. What breeds are you keeping now?



We almost thought we had an accidental rooster, which I was a bit excited about for this reason. But no. Just a very red pullet. I'm fortunate that there's no real violence (they're literally cuddling in a pile right now), but perhaps I should lower my expectations on how peaceful a confined flock can be.

We have New Hampshire (meat strain), Blue Laced Barnevelders, Standard New Hampshires, Exhibition Barred Plymouth Rocks, and Buff Laced Polish. The Polish are probably the least docile, with the meat birds being the most docile. Barnevelders are a great breed! That land somewhere in the middle but still pretty docile

 

[TOMTE]

You could try to introduce mature, hardy, woody plants in pots to the run. Small trees, berry shrubs, stuff like that. Young plants are easy to destroy, and stuff like strawberries and herbs, chickens will just absolutely shred them within hours or days. Mature tomato plants are great for shade and having dirt baths under, plus they can snack on the tomatoes!

Raspberry plants are great because the thorns keep the chickens from tearing up the stems. You can kind of braid and shape the stems into a diy shelter! Mulberry bushes are sturdy, great shelter, great roosting and foraging opportunity. We have a few growing wild on the property that the girls routinely pick berries off the ground under.

You can try growing vine plants up the side of the run, like beans, peas, ivy, nasturtium, etc.

Look into native plants that will grow well in your environment too, if you want to go the planting route. Native plants tend to do much better in the long run and are healthier for the environment!