Older hens making chicks sleep on floor

[waba8chicks]

We recently added some new chicks to the coop, after about a month of "see don't touch". There is still some bullying going on, but for the most part, pecking order has been established, and everybody is getting along ok. The problem is a bedtime. We often peek into the coop windows at bedtime. The first night, the chicks (they are almost 4 months old), tried to sleep on the roosting bars. They had a hard time, and only half did, the rest were in a corner on the floor. I thought they were just adjusting. For the last week, they are all now sleeping on the floor. A few days ago, they all headed into the coop early, before any of the older ones went to bed! I thought it was so funny, they were all on the roost, ready to sleep. I decided to watch, and one of my older hens came in, and pecked each one of them until they were all on the floor again, which is where they are now sleeping! Help! How to do I the older girls to accept the new girls and allow them to roost? And how bad is it that they have to sleep on the floor of the coop? The coop is sturdy and clean and secure from predators, so that is not a problem , I just worry that they obviously WANT to roost, and are not being allowed to.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

How many birds? Bantams or LF? How much roost space?

 

[waba8chicks]

Two roosting poles, one above the other, about 8 feet long each. We only have 16 total, 8 older and 8 younger. Space is not a problem, plenty of room. In fact, all of the older hens sleep on the roost together, except one sleeps at the other end, effectively blocking the younger ones from the entire roost! It is just a "mean girls" situation! It is comical, but I worry that the younger ones will NEVER be able to roost on the bars!

 

[waba8chicks]

And none are bantams; they are golden comets, austrolorps, and red sex links.

 

[appps]

i wouldn't worry too much. Eventually they will work out they can sleep on the lower perch (or if you are so inclined you could pop them on it yourself for a week or two)

My young ones started out on the lower perch because they were not allowed up to the top but now months later I often find them on the top one with the big girls.