I confess that I've been a little lazy about making the birds sleep in the housing unit. We've been letting them sleep where ever they choose; one sleeps on the carport. Two others sleep in a tree. Two have been sleeping on a window sill and a few actually roost in the coop/run where they are supposed to. Tonight I decided I am not going to allow this to happen anymore. The kids got them all put in the unit and there is plenty of room to roost, I even added a couple of new roost so there wouldn't be any issues about space. Well, it sounds like the end of the freaking world. Is this going to get worked out? Why do they feel like they all have to roost in the same 27 inches of roost? Thanks.
"She's touching me!". "Her butt is in my face!" "Thats MY spot - I outrank you!" Every freaking night. It's just the chicken way.
It's the chicken way and when you cull a bird from the flock and the pecking order is upset it gets worse for several days. I understand why chickens do many of the things they do but that ruler of the roost thing has me puzzled. Why can't Hennerita sleep next to you, why does Philemina have to be two rungs below you?
My 5 girls (4 that are 5+ months and 1 bantam that is 6+ months) all cram into one nesting box. Always have. They have 2 very nice roosts that are higher than the nesting boxes and they do use them at other times but when they first go into their coop at night, they all still cram into a 12X12 nesting box. I do believe they have a bottle of olive oil or something hidden that they grease themselves up with before packing themselves in there. There is a specific order though and every night it is the same. Bantam on the very bottom followed by one LB facing the back of the box, then one Australorp perpendicular to the LB, the other LB facing the front but directly across from the other LB and lastly the other Australorp across the front of the box. I can't help but laugh and I just have to look every night to see if they change up and there is no change in order. Same chicken,, same place every night. I know they aren't supposed to sleep in nexting boxes and when we first got them we had them closed off as they were only 2 and 3 months old. Something must have spooked them and they went to all the trouble to get over an 8" board and that is where they have stayed. We have put up other things to keep them out but they are determined to sleep in THAT box. They don't bother the other 2 nesting boxes, except lately I see a butt print in the hay in one of them but no poo like the one they sleep in. I think (hope) someone is getting ready to start laying.
