Rosy, aka The Wicked Witch of the Roost, is queen of that roost, a 4” diameter walnut branch about 5 feet long we installed for our 4 hens when they were but small pullets. They happily moved up from their lower smaller branch and never looked back—except when Rosy decides one or more of them can’t use ‘her’ branch. It’s arbitrary, and depends on her moods. Often they all roost together with no problems. Lately, she has been stressed about a pen within Chez Poulet, their coop, that now holds a pair of 5 wk old chicks, and also encompasses much of the lower roost. Now if she forces the others off the roost, they have no other roost to go to, and must sleep on the flat top of the nest boxes, or on a big flat stump that serves as a step for the nest boxes. I have seen, during one of Queen Rosy’s onslaughts, another hen putting her head under Buffy the Orpington, who Buffy then comforts by putting a wing over her. Enough is enough I said. But I didn’t want to get rid of Rosy who is our best layer. I told my husband we need to install another roost, but he came up with a simple solution. This cardboard divider did the trick! It divided the roost in half and we attached it to the window with zip ties. I looked forward to see how it would work out yesterday evening as dark approached. The girls, who are free range, came in one by one. They first jumped up on the outer end, which was to be Rosy’s end. I actually had to put the first two on their far side of the divider, and they settled right down making happy sounds. Rosy came in 3rd, and jumped up on the end, peering at the divider and making complain-y sounds. The last one, Stella, tried to jump up with Rosy who viciously attacked her, and Stella figured out right away that it was best to move to the other side, did so all by herself, and the others welcomed her. Peace reigned in Chez Poulet last night, due to a simple piece of cardboard!
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