Resource guarding keeps derailing my flocks. Can't crack the code!

[thecatumbrella]

I was around last night when mine went to roost and when I eventually decided to investigate the thudding and screeching coming from one coop, I found a pullet roosting on the shoulders of a cockerel who was still stood on the ladder but had tried to jam his head up between her legs to get onto the roost

Oh my gosh, you can always count on your birds to be as awkward as possible!

 

[kattabelly]

Oh my gosh, you can always count on your birds to be as awkward as possible!

I just tried to get a recording of what "normal" bedtime sounds like around here but they weren't being as loud as they sometimes are (didn't realise BYC wouldn't let me embed vocaroos but it's here). Right after I hit 'stop' there were a few screeches and then one of them - I swear I'm not making this up or exaggerating - started braying like a donkey.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I just tried to get a recording of what "normal" bedtime sounds like around here but they weren't being as loud as they sometimes are (didn't realise BYC wouldn't let me embed vocaroos but it's here). Right after I hit 'stop' there were a few screeches and then one of them - I swear I'm not making this up or exaggerating - started braying like a donkey.

The struggle is real to not be “outside edge bird”! I took so many videos when I had the full 7, because bedtime was always hysterical.

And for anyone wondering why I didn’t keep the larger Omlet: it’s $2000 piece of junk that leaks and has loose doors for predators to rip open. The tiny Cube is built like a tank in comparison. Oh well. Another failure on the journey

 

[ChickyCh00k]

I tend to agree with many others here that much of what you describe, especially at roost time, is quite normal. I realize the coop/roost size is a big contributing factor. However, chickens will act like this at bedtime no matter the size of the coop or how much roost space there is. I have 19 hens in a 10x12 coop with a 6' roost bar and two 9' roosts. 24 feet of roost space and those a**holes are beating the out of each other nightly to jam themselves into the back 3 foot corner. I cut plastic lattice and made roost dividers (sort of like what @kattabelly is suggesting) which helped a lot, although I know it would be really hard to do in an Omlet coop.

One of my favorite BYC members (R.I.P., aart) referred to it as the "Roost Time Rumble" and it is FACTS! I have a camera in my coop and I just don't watch them at bedtime. "Why are they acting like animals?!?!" During the day, they're all fairly peaceful, but when it's time to roost, forgetaboutit!

The food and water issue, like others have said, seems pretty normal. You likely wouldn't notice it as much if you had more chickens . I know that sounds "hensane" at this point, but with only 2 other chickens to compete with, it's much easier to "guard" the food and water. (I'm not necessarily advocating that you get more chickens, but I'm not NOT advocating for it... )

It sounds like you're doing everything right and you're a wonderful chicken parent. I also think normal chicken behavior can look absolutely horrifying to us tender-hearted humans who believe in civilized communication and behavior. Whatever you decide to do is the right choice for YOU, and I hope you are able to find peace in chicken-keeping at some point!

 

[Carontheroad]

Right?? This was my husband’s complaint. Just go to bed dude! Why are you leaning over Poppy to take cheap shots in the dark…

They did so well in the run today that we gave them another chance to go to bed in the Omlet. She did the exact same thing. I know you’re a Nestera user. Do you ever see this from yours?

You could try playing some quiet classical music at 432 hertz in or near the coop at night to see if that helps. I’ve had some success with that. I use Spotify on my cell phone with a small blue tooth speaker. I think the 432 htz is important as that is the natural frequency of music. You can search on Spotify for classical 432 htz and then pick calming songs/arrangements. Since you have a camera in the coop you could really see if it has an effect.

 

[CombNWattles]

One thing I’ve observed is that chickens don’t really feel safe on ‘perches’ that are resting on the ground. Their changed behavior during the night looks to me like they were uneasy. They feel safest in that corner, away from the door. If they had more vertical space they might relax a little.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

One thing I’ve observed is that chickens don’t really feel safe on ‘perches’ that are resting on the ground. Their changed behavior during the night looks to me like they were uneasy. They feel safest in that corner, away from the door. If they had more vertical space they might relax a little.

I have a Nestera coop, a bit bigger than OP’s Omlet, and the perches are a whopping 11” off the coop floor. The coop itself sits on a platform 3’ above the run floor.

I was worrying about the low perches too, but a veteran member here (Shadrach) said that it’s more a matter of total height above ground. So in effect, the Nestera perches are four feet up. They’ve never had a problem with them.

Maybe a thought for those of us who have the equivalent of Tiny Houses for chickens?