My coop is 4 feet wide by 8 feet long with a 4 foot roost at each end. My eight 19 week old pullets have all been roosting on the lower roost, and as they have grown, it's getting pretty tight up there. They are aware of the taller roost, but never roosted on it. So a few nights ago, I took down the low roost, trying to make them go to the higher one. Oh my, you would think I had committed a felony, the way they carried on. But they finally settled down on the high roost. (No problem jumping up; there is a nice stump there to spring off of) The next night, I left both roosts in, and they went back to the short one. The next night, I took the short one out, and one girl was not allowed on the high roost, so she slept on the stump. Tonight, I left both in, and they all got on the short one again.
I guess since they are aware both roosts are there, I will assume if it gets too crowded on one, they will eventually split up. There is not a well established pecking order yet. Probably once that is more obvious, maybe a split will occur. Silly chickens.
