Roost bar pecking

[akchickenman]

I posted last week about integrating a new hen into my flock of three and with the help of fellow BYCers it all went well (mostly I just was shocked about how mean they can be to each other). Now the girls have their pecking order all figured out and life is going on as normal. Except when it comes to bed time. The hen at the top of the pecking order won't allow either of the other two girls on the roost bar. I have a fairly small coop with a 4x8 run and a 4x4 coop. I have a single roost bar a 2x4 on the flat side which is about 2.5 feet long.

After dark each night I put the two girls who are huddled beneath the roost bar back on the roost with the hopes that they will all get the hint but it hasn't happened yet. Is their something I can do to get them back on the roost bar/stop the top hen from kicking them off each night. Winter is gonna be here soon and I don't want to have to go to the coop each night at 10 pm in single digit weather just to put them back on the roost bar.

 

[aart]

The hen at the top of the pecking order won't allow either of the other two girls

So 3 birds total?

I have a single roost bar a 2x4 on the flat side which is about 2.5 feet long.

Therein could lie the problem, best to have at least a foot of roost length per bird...and more is better needed if the roost is more than an easy step up off the floor. They need room to spread wings for balance.

Roosting time is often the most contentious part of the day, even with lots of space and birds that have lived together for a long time. I call it the RoostTimeRumble.

 

[akchickenman]

AARF,

Thanks for the quick reply!

Yes, I have three birds total, and up until integrating the new hen, they would all sleep basically on top of each other on the roost.

The roost is only about a foot off the ground, so is an easy hop to get up there. I will see what I can do about adding a bit more roost space, but with the feeders and waterers, I worry about taking too much space with the roost.

 

[Chickassan]

Could you put another roost bar a little bit higher up? Maybe put a short one in a corner? The top hen often dosent like sharing the roost with anyone even remotely new. My top hen still beats up on a girl who has been in the flock almost a year at roost time, pecks her comb and even sits on her head lol.

 

[akchickenman]

Could you put another roost bar a little bit higher up? Maybe put a short one in a corner?

This is a great idea. I will try this weekend!

 

[SueT]

I have made a divider for the favorite roost, else #1 hen won't let anyone else on it. It's a big branch, 5' long, with a view out the window, prime real estate in the chicken world.

 

[Derrick cook]

So 3 birds total?

Therein could lie the problem, best to have at least a foot of roost length per bird...and more is better needed if the roost is more than an easy step up off the floor. They need room to spread wings for balance.

Roosting time is often the most contentious part of the day, even with lots of space and birds that have lived together for a long time. I call it the RoostTimeRumble.

My coop is 14' long by 10ft wide and here is how i have my roost bars set up, not the best picture but you can kinda see it, after i set the bars a little straighter ill add a 3rd one innthe middle, all 3 are 10ft long, in theory i should be able to have upwards of 26+ hens roosting comfortably with 3 roosts 10ft long, plus they can get to the roof rafters as well so if i wanted to get greedy i could fit about 40 birds in here but im not going to do that, 25 is my max and im at 16 birds so far. But generally one foot of space or better is what is prefered by birds, some huddle up for awhile but they will spread out and kick the lower lady off the bar to make their own space. So like aart said, more roost space, less booting off the roost

 

[twilightgecko]

my girls definitely putting the pecking order to test every night when they roost.. but i find that is only when its light enough to see each other.. once dark, they calm down and huddle together even.. i will stand out the coop door and listen.. they calm right down.. perhaps yours too settle in when it's dark.. ??

 

[akchickenman]

I have made a divider for the favorite roost, else #1 hen won't let anyone else on it. It's a big branch, 5' long, with a view out the window, prime real estate in the chicken world.

Interesting. When you say a divider, what do you mean? Just something separating one side of the roost from the other, or a divider separating two separate roosts?

 

[akchickenman]

my girls definitely putting the pecking order to test every night when they roost.. but i find that is only when its light enough to see each other.. once dark, they calm down and huddle together even.. i will stand out the coop door and listen.. they calm right down.. perhaps yours too settle in when it's dark.. ??

I generally go out and check on them after it has been dark for at least two hours. The one is always on the very far side of the roost with the other two cuddled into a little bar underneath the opposite side of the roost.