Roosting battles

[crazychick26201]

My big girls won't let my new girls on the roost. They keep shoving them off. Every night is a fight. This has gone on for over a week. My new ones are 21 weeks old. They have been together for almost a month with the young ones going back into their grow out coop to roost for the night. Fairly peaceful during the day, but at night it's battle for a roost spot time. Should I add another roost or will it eventually resolve itself? Thanks.

 

[wingedshade]

If they don't have enough space per bird, you should add another roost. There should be about 8 to 12 inches of roost space per bird. If they do have room, I saw on another thread somebody made a cardboard barrier that sectioned off part of the roost so the obnoxious birds couldn't see the younger one and thus didn't pester them as much.

 

[Pork Pie]

Whilst the rule of thumb for roost space is 1ft per bird, as always with these generalisations, the more space, the better. Providing there is sufficient space, i would let them work it out - all will be well (eventually). Roosting time is always a good time for squabbling and pecking, so it seems!

CT

 

[donrae]

How many birds? How much roost space? Can you post pics of your roost/coop?

 

[aart]

My big girls won't let my new girls on the roost. They keep shoving them off. Every night is a fight. This has gone on for over a week. My new ones are 21 weeks old. They have been together for almost a month with the young ones going back into their grow out coop to roost for the night. Fairly peaceful during the day, but at night it's battle for a roost spot time. Should I add another roost or will it eventually resolve itself? Thanks.

If at all possible to add another roost by all means do so, just a little lower than the main roost and as far away as possible.
They may eventually merge and share the space, but my pullets are 6 months old and most of them, most the time, use the separate roost.

 

[centrarchid]

In addition to adding an additional roost, you might be able to realize better integration by simply moving roosts to a different location or even turning them at a right angle horizontally.