Roost bar Rumble

[Bawkmeow]

I have been having a silkie that is not being allowed to roost on the roost bar at night and I am looking for suggestions. I have a 30 foot run that is 10 foot wide. it is divided in in the center (two 15 foot runs) but has a "chicken door" and a walk through door, so the chickens/myself can access each side. In theory if I needed to separate I can shut the doors. On opposite ends of the run I have a coop. My main coop is 5x8 (currently sleeps 5 hens) with one 4 and one 6 foot roost bars. the other end has a small 4x7 coop (currently sleeps 5 hens). This was made for my 2nd addition of chicks (bantams) as a grow out coop and I had the runs divided off until they intergraded. Fast forward 8 months. 1 bantam cochin now sleeps in the "big coop" 1 Silkie passes away 1 silkie still sleeps in the little coop (coopette I call it) when the silkie passed I added a ameraucana around the same age. she also still sleeps in the coopette. But I have a EE, Isbar and OE that decided they rather sleep in the coopette. Total of 5. For the first 5 months it was fine, everyone was happy so I just left it. It was too many chickens for the little coopette but they didn't seam to mind. The last 3 months though all except the ameraucana have decided that there is no longer room for the little silkie. I have 2 other silkies from the original group that sleep in the main coop so they are used to silkies. This silkie was broody and I had her in broody jail. She was tough to break. I had a pet crate in the run and one in the coopette. The days she was in the run and nights in the coopette. She took 7 days to break. After that is when this started. I thought maybe working out the pecking order again, but that is why my broody girls are always in the run days and their coops at night. As to keep as social as they can with the group. So I let the pecking (only at night) go on for 2 weeks and it never subsided. If I go out and place the chickens in a certain order they sit right down and are calm. I thought they would learn their spots after a little. Nope! The roost bar is across the long side of the coop. I have tried adding a 2nd bar along the short side that crosses the first bar. I have poop trays under my bars so they are far enough away that they can not peck the lower bar but close enough they can use it for a step. I didn't know if the bigger birds would use it or the little silkie. It's higher but only 24" long. Well now no one uses the small bar and they crowd onto the first bar. I have tried putting the silkie in the main coop. but not only was she pecked off the roosts (both of them) she was continually pecked until she was out of the pop door back into the run. They peck the little silkie so hard they pull her off the roost bar by her feathers sometimes. So, I want to put all of the Pecking girls into the main coop and leave the silkie and ameraucana in the coopette. main questions. Can there be just 2 together? How do I "train" the other 3 to go to the other coop? #1 and #2 hen are in the main coop. I would say #3 and #4 would be the EE and OE that would be moving. The ameraucana even though she does not peck the silkie is pretty much the OE's shadow. I am afraid IF the OE switches she will follow. Which will leave the silkie all by herself. I do not feel the main coop is large enough for everyone. I went over the # of hens that I thought I wanted in the main because I thought the 3 bantams would stay in the coopette. Short of adding onto the coopette any suggestions would be great. This is the only pic I have, it was before I added the small coop. Keep in mind as an outsider looking in. My coop already look pretty big for the 6 chickens I am allowed to have. Sorry for the LONG post but any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would split the flock the way you want them, shut the door between the run, and then they will have to roost in the coop you want them. It is a pretty sweet set up.

Yes just two birds can be together, put them in the smaller set up.

Mrs K

 

[HNDYMN]

Nice that you have the two sperate coops. However, in the overall the best outcome is they learn to get along. New birds are not immediately accepted into the flock. I fence off a section on the run, so they can see each other but not fight. After they get used to the other birds being around, I let them be together. Keep the Silkies out and place them on the roost with the other birds after dark. Waking up together helps. Also, consider that it may not be all your flock that is rejecting the new birds. Often one bird can be a bully, picking on your other birds. If you have mean one, you're going to have to resolve its behavior.