Misbehaving in the coop !

[Madison2237]

This is my first post and I'm new to raising backyard chickens and I absolutely love it. As a short back story --- my little chicks grew up in the house and they waited a long time for my son-in-law to build their coop. The 5 rhode island reds lived in the spare bedroom.... until just about when they started laying eggs a couple months ago. It was a funny thing but it worked well. in the evening they'd come to the sliding glass door, hop up into the house, and as a group of 5 waddled down the hallway, and made a right into their bedroom !!! Then I have 10 other chickens we raised from small chicks - a variety - barred rocks, coachins, barnevelder, and they lived in the living room in the evenings. They all were in backyard during the day doing fine. Recently they were all able to move into their beautiful new coop together - 15 chickens. My problem is when they are getting settled in and getting their spot, some of the rhode island reds bully the other group of chickens and peck at them and some of them try to hide their head, etc... I stand there trying to keep the peace, etc...... any ideas to help ? I try to protect the other chickens and that's probably not the right thing to do. My chickens are very spoiled too. I have a yellow lab and everyone gets along in the backyard so well.. I love leaving my secretarial job and coming home to my chickens and dogs. It's the BEST.

 

[N F C]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you're enjoying your birds. I got a chuckle out of your in-house birds story.

As for the RIR's pecking at the other birds now that they are in the coop...that sounds like pretty normal behavior to me. They are establishing the pecking order (who gets to be boss). They will work it out before long. I wouldn't intervene unless it gets out of hand and blood is drawn. I know non-intervention can be a tough thing to do but chickens will be chickens and they just act like that.

We have 2 RIR's in our mixed flock and 1 of them is the head honcho...she let everyone else know who's boss and they all respect her (or feel her wrath, lol). I've intervened a couple of times when I thought she was carrying things too far and that seems to have given her some idea of how far she can go but at the same time, I have to let them act like the birds they are.

Nice to have you here. If you have questions or just want to share stories or pictures of your flock, you'll find a warm welcome.

 

[aart]

Typical, let them at it unless serious blood is drawn.

Even after the pecking order seems to be well established, they all have a pecking party at roosting time.

 

[N F C]

Typical, let them at it unless serious blood is drawn.

Even after the pecking order seems to be well established, they all have a pecking party at roosting time.

That is so true! It's like they are all bickering for prime roosting real estate, lol.

 

[Farm Girl 1]

I don't have any advice but would like to say

 

[Madison2237]

Thank you so much for your nice reply. I took your advice and tonight at bedtime, I didn't intervene and try to reason with them !!! LOL. The RIR are a bossy group and bullies !!! All is well on the beautiful Oregon coast tonight. One little thing tho --- this afternoon I went and collected a deformed looking egg..... that's never happened before. I don't know why either. I'm happy to be apart of this group of backyard chicken lovers.

 

[Madison2237]

No kidding .... a pecking party huh !!! I'll remember that.

 

[N F C]

Thank you so much for your nice reply. I took your advice and tonight at bedtime, I didn't intervene and try to reason with them !!! LOL. The RIR are a bossy group and bullies !!! All is well on the beautiful Oregon coast tonight. One little thing tho --- this afternoon I went and collected a deformed looking egg..... that's never happened before. I don't know why either. I'm happy to be apart of this group of backyard chicken lovers.

Here's a link to an article about odd eggs that you may find interesting. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

As for the RIR's...I wouldn't call them "bossy" so much as "assertive", lol.

Enjoy your flock, glad to have you join us!