Okay, this is weird!

[Mommysongbird]

All of our chickens (5 pullets and 1 roo) have been roosting for MONTHS now and there have been some changes to the roo placement and now one of our EE's is roosting or nesting in the nest box at 9:51 PM. All the rest of the pullets and the roo are on the roosts all huddled together. It is cold out, but not below 50, will she be alright laying in the next box all night by herself or is she in there to lay an egg???

I am going to bed, so won't check the nests til early AM (around 7:30 the first check). If she lays an egg tonight, will it be okay???? I have noticed an oive egg the last few mornings and I thought she was the one laying them, but I didn't think she was staying in the nest box all night.

Is this just a crazy chicken or is she that LOW in the pecking order that they won't let her on the roosts???? There are 3 bars that are 3 feet long, what is the deal???

This roo may have to go too.

 

[macdoogle2]

She may be broody. That's what one of my hens started doing and now she wont leave the nest.

 

[pgpoultry]

It may be broodiness, it may be change in the pecking order, or it may just be the odd way that chickens behave at times.

I have a number of chickens who intermittently choose to use the nest boxes at night. We get temps of 0 degrees and below in the winter and the users of the nest boxes all seem fine.

 

[Mommysongbird]

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I hope it is not brooyness, not this early on in the game, but if so

I'll deal.

I just hate for her to be left all alone and this stupid roo is NOT helping matters. He is so mean, doesn't even let ANY of the girls eat first or anything. He just comes and starts gobbling up whatever I am giving to them. He is SO not normal. He does however try to protect them from me, he has come after me and I have let him have it a few times arleady and so has my 10yro son.

I do believe that this roo is the biggest problem. The little pullet was never the 'outcast' with the other roo, she may have been at the bottom of the pecking order then, but she was never an outcast.

I will watch her to see what happens over the next week, hopefully things get better.

I did look in the box a little after 7 and seen nothing, so I don't think she was laying. There is another girl in that box now and I shall see what she has done if anything in a bit.

 

[AngelaB]

I have one that roosts high and my other three (that were raised together) cuddle outside. If it is cold they do go in and sit together though. But, my EE is a loner.

 

[Animalian]

you could hang up some strips of cloth in front of the nest box she's been using. It will help her hide from the roo and give her a smaller space to heat by herself on cold nights.

It will also make that nest box very popular when they lay because everyone seems to love having a 'privacy screen' lol

 

[Mommysongbird]

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They were all raised together. They are all the same age. She use to cuddle with the others until the other roo left, now she is the loner. It's kinda sad

 

[Mommysongbird]

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Really don't have a way to hang anything in from of the box since it just sits upon a little platform (the whole nest box system, just 3 of them is removable for cleaning). Not sure what else to do. I will just watch her and see what happens.