So...
My chicken coop is a barn. Its divided into the main barn area and then 2 coops. The one my flock is in, is the smaller coop (maybe 11x 16 or something..) and it has a roost that would be 11 feet (from side to side)..and then beside it is an empty coop that they use to roam in thru the winter-when there is too much snow to go out, they just hang in the whole barn, including all areas.
A month ago, I got a rooster, and separated him in that larger area, putting a roost at the same height (looks like a continuous roost from the other coop.) He stayed there for almost a month, and now is with my flock- however, in the evenings, sometimes I find him roosting on his old side, and not with the ladies. I have done both - make him move and go into the coop, as well as just lock him in the large coop alone.
Any ideas on why he is roosting there, alone? And should I leave him- or make him roost with the flock. I feel like I should make him roost with the flock, since soon I'll be using that side for my meat birds and a small pen of day old layers.
In general, they accepted him without really batting an eyelash... he made whoopie right away with 3 or 4, and there were a couple of hens who did some chest bumping with him, and pecked at him when he tried to get fresh------but I think they were just playing hard to get. ;-) They all seem to adore him now...
Why would he be separating himself like that? Should I have roosts at different levels?
Much thanks
My chicken coop is a barn. Its divided into the main barn area and then 2 coops. The one my flock is in, is the smaller coop (maybe 11x 16 or something..) and it has a roost that would be 11 feet (from side to side)..and then beside it is an empty coop that they use to roam in thru the winter-when there is too much snow to go out, they just hang in the whole barn, including all areas.
A month ago, I got a rooster, and separated him in that larger area, putting a roost at the same height (looks like a continuous roost from the other coop.) He stayed there for almost a month, and now is with my flock- however, in the evenings, sometimes I find him roosting on his old side, and not with the ladies. I have done both - make him move and go into the coop, as well as just lock him in the large coop alone.
Any ideas on why he is roosting there, alone? And should I leave him- or make him roost with the flock. I feel like I should make him roost with the flock, since soon I'll be using that side for my meat birds and a small pen of day old layers.
In general, they accepted him without really batting an eyelash... he made whoopie right away with 3 or 4, and there were a couple of hens who did some chest bumping with him, and pecked at him when he tried to get fresh------but I think they were just playing hard to get. ;-) They all seem to adore him now...
Why would he be separating himself like that? Should I have roosts at different levels?
Much thanks
