Rooster keeping hen out of coopnat night

[Shadyangel2003]

Everything seemed fine but for about last two nights my rooster has been keeping one of my chickens out of the coop at night, I keep finding her trying to sleep outide, when i put her in the coop at night he kinda is mean but then let's her be. They are fine during the day time. Any advice?

Also again up till 2 days ago they all just like seemed to sleep with her on the bottom. Big chicken pile

 

[Mrs. K]

How old are your birds?

 

[Shadyangel2003]

How old are your birds?

There is a 3yr old girl, two girls are1yr and the rooster is under 1yr . The one being left out is one of the 1yr olds

 

[Mrs. K]

Well that is not a real good sign. It can indicate a couple of things:

• You have a rooster that is not that great
• You do not have enough space. Take a picture of your set up. IMO - roosters take more space than hens, but also some birds are less tolerant of overcrowding than others.
• Sometimes this indicates that something is wrong with the hen.
• Some birds (even if raised together, which really has almost no influence on chicken society) just do not fit together. They will do fine in someone else's flock.

It can one of those ^^, or none of those. But those are places to start.

Thing is - you need to fiddle with your flock, always solve for peace in the flock. Which can mean reducing your flock, either the hen or the rooster, or getting a bigger coop.

Another idea - use a piece of cardboard to divide the roost into two parts. With chickens out of sight is out of mind. That way the victim and another hen can roost on one side, out of sight and reach of the rooster. Some people thread the roost through the cardboard to kind of support it, some just tape it to the ceiling.

Mrs K

 

[Shadyangel2003]

Well that is not a real good sign. It can indicate a couple of things:

• You have a rooster that is not that great
• You do not have enough space. Take a picture of your set up. IMO - roosters take more space than hens, but also some birds are less tolerant of overcrowding than others.
• Sometimes this indicates that something is wrong with the hen.
• Some birds (even if raised together, which really has almost no influence on chicken society) just do not fit together. They will do fine in someone else's flock.

It can one of those ^^, or none of those. But those are places to start.

Thing is - you need to fiddle with your flock, always solve for peace in the flock. Which can mean reducing your flock, either the hen or the rooster, or getting a bigger coop.

Another idea - use a piece of cardboard to divide the roost into two parts. With chickens out of sight is out of mind. That way the victim and another hen can roost on one side, out of sight and reach of the rooster. Some people thread the roost through the cardboard to kind of support it, some just tape it to the ceiling.

Mrs K

Sorry guess I was given wrong info, she just isn't going in at night last few nights. Not sure if the pictures really show how big it is but you can fit about 3 of them from the door to the back and I'd say maybe like 8ft long. (Sorry that's what I get for trusting someone else's info, but today I watched as they all went in but she stayed out like in the picture.)

 

[Mrs. K]

It looks like a modified rabbit cage? Does it have a roost inside? I think I would just put her in one side, and block off a space. See if that helps.

 

[Shadyangel2003]

It looks like a modified rabbit cage? Does it have a roost inside? I think I would just put her in one side, and block off a space. See if that helps.

Im not really sure it was kind of already here before I moved in. There are no bars inside and actually until about three/ four days ago I haven't seen them use the any of the ones outside at all. (The three younger ones I've only had about 4 months?) And the 2 prior chickens (of which only one is left now) could care less and avoided them.

Is the set up not good for the chickens? Maybe the first two spoiled me?

 

[Shadyangel2003]

When she is actually inside she prefers to be all pilled up on eachother, like she will crawl under the rest

 

[Jeff_Stone]

It sounds like your rooster is trying to establish some dominance, especially if he's been letting her be once she’s inside the coop, but being a bit aggressive about her getting in. Sometimes roosters can get territorial or a little picky about who sleeps where, especially if there’s been a change in the flock dynamics. Since they were fine before, this behavior might just be a new power play from him, trying to assert himself as the "alpha."

You might try a couple of things to help her feel more secure and encourage her to go into the coop at night without any trouble:

Check for Space: Make sure there's enough space in the coop for all your chickens to sleep comfortably. If it’s a tight fit or if she's not able to get to a comfortable spot, that might be why she’s trying to sleep outside. Sometimes they just want a bit of personal space.

Reintroduce the Rooster's Role: If the rooster’s being too aggressive, consider temporarily separating him from the flock at night (just at night) so she can have a peaceful entry. You could also try moving him to a separate area during the night for a few nights to reset his behavior.

Nightly Routine: You might want to ensure that the entire flock is consistently heading into the coop at the same time each night. Sometimes just a little bit of consistency will help everyone settle back into their old routine.

Check for Injury: Since he's being a bit "mean" towards her, check to make sure she’s not injured or stressed by the rooster. If she’s not sleeping in the coop, it might be a sign that she’s trying to avoid him for a reason.

Hopefully, once the rooster realizes he’s not getting the reaction he wants, he’ll calm down. Keep an eye on her and make sure she’s safe, and hopefully, things will smooth out soon!

 

[Mrs. K]

I would add a roost. Two cement blocks with the two holes in them set up on end, and a 2 x 4 stuck through the top hole will work fine. Your birds will be a lot cleaner if they are roosting and not sleeping in poop.

This will either get better or get worse. Separating the rooster might be the best idea, or even removing him from your flock, you really don't have a lot of hens for a rooster.

Mrs K