Launchers vs Waddlers: Leaving the coop

[MildlyOffensiveChicken]

I have my chickens in a 100sq ft hoop house. I have been opening the man door, but I should put a smaller chicken door in as well in the morning.

5-10 chickens will launch from the rear of the coop through the man door and maybe 2-8 feet further out into the run. It isn’t immediately after I open the door, 30 second delay. It is not usually the same crew each day, except one particular Ameraucana appears to be higher up the pecking order than most.

They don’t seem to be in any particular stress once they land, but they often make the squawk that accompanies startled flight. They all spend time outside as long as they don’t have to stand or plow through snow.

Are they avoiding running a gauntlet on the ground with the others as they waddle out? Maybe bullying im not catching? This did not occur with my initial birds.

 

[aart]

Having a smaller chicken door, might stop the flyers.
Not sure if it's actually a problem tho.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know how old your chickens are, what your coop looks like, anything like that. Is it every morning? It is interesting that it's different chickens. Especially if they are immature or your coop is small there could be some bullying going on, could be anyway. "This did not occur with my initial birds" implies you may have age or maturity differences.

I've had full sized adult chickens, mostly hens but a couple of times the dominant rooster, launch from the 5' high roost, fly forward about 8', hang a left, fly through the human door, and land a few feet out in the run. And people try to tell me that full-sized fowl adult chickens can't fly if they want to. I feed and water in the run as well as in the coop so I leave the human door open when I'm refilling feed and water outside. The pop door is already open when they do this.

This is not close to a common event but I've been surprised several times when one comes through the door. A couple of times they almost hit me as I was ready to go back in. Especially since my dominant rooster has done this I don't think bullying was involved. I think they are just having fun.

I can't remember what your coop looks like but I like my pop dor. The human door can let in a lot of weather, mostly rain or snow but also wind. The pop door lets in a lot less. That's why I like my pop door, not because of behavioral issues.

 

[MildlyOffensiveChicken]

It’s a basic hoop coop with a man door centered on the front.

Nobody did it today. I was watching the chickens at the rear. And it seems like it’s impatience. As they were making all the pre flight movements, but the mini traffic jam at the door subsided and they hopped off the roosts and walked out

 

[WIchickMama]

do you let them out at the same time every day? or does it vary based on morning human life? I know that sometimes if i don't get out and open the door right when the sun is up, I get some ladies running out to eat and stretch. Could just be excited to get outside, especially if you don't have food or water in the hoop house.