It was a banner morning at Redstreaker Hollow!! My flock consists of two groups of birds. The older group of seven pullets and one segregated cockerel, was hatched on 15 April-ish. The girls are regularly laying and are getting used to being “Big Girls.” The other half of the flock is made up of seven females and one male hatched on 15 July (aka “the Littles”). The Bigs have been bossy and a little rough with the Littles, especially around food, but otherwise tolerant since I moved the Littles into the brooder space in the coop when they were about a month old. The brooder had a chick-sized door into the main coop and an escape hatch into a safe zone under the lowest poop deck (board).
The Littles loved the extra space and really didn’t bother the Bigs. There was some screaming, feather pulling, pecking, and general bitchiness for a while, but they can all stay in the coop without killing each other or giving me a heart attack.
Last week, we removed the brooder, installed two roosts in its place, and left the safe zone under the poop deck. The first night everyone was confused, but they settled in and all was well. Over the course of the next few nights, Elvira (BJG) even got away with sleeping on the higher roosts with the Bigs. Yesterday afternoon, the Bigs were relegated to the run for the evening and the Littles had the run of the coop. As it got to be dusk, I went out to let the Bigs in for the night and found alllllll the Littles settled in on the big girl roosts! They were all sleepy and ready for bed - until I let the Bigs into the coop. Most of the Littles moved down to “their” roosts, but three stayed where they were. After some consternation, they all settled down for the night. Three of the Littles slept with the Big Girls! Annnnnnnnd, my big-footed boy, Flash (BLRW), CROWED for the first time this morning!!
