Top "Dog" or chicken

[rjkold]

I'm new to raising chickens. I am wondering if this lone chicken is the queen Bee in the photo. I have seen her peck at a few birds but she is skiddish too, maybe just around me. I see from the camera footage she did get closer to the rest of the flock last night. I had to add another roost spot , closest to camera (2 newer chickens) because some weren't allowing the newbies onto the roost bar. Now the entire length of the longest board is clear...doesn't make sense to me. Usually my 2 barred rocks are where the lone one is, so maybe it changes each night. Any thoughts on how to get everyone using the longer roost to allow the newbies some space on the shorter end?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds like a common problem. My juveniles aren't usually allowed to use the main roosts with the adults until they mature enough to merge in the pecking order. Until they mature they are automatically at the bottom.

I have seen a hen go from her normal roosting spot to beat up on juveniles trying to roost on the main roosts. The juveniles went to the far back corner but that hen wen out of her way to be a brute to them. She was not the dominant hen but was really low in the pecking order. It's as if she was glad to be on the pecking end instead of the pecked end, but some people on here have said their dominant hen did that.

Possible solutions. Chickens tend to like sleeping as high as they can go. You might try raising that long section 6" or better a foot to see if the older go there and let the younger ones have the lower end. That's kind of what I do, but my juvenile roost is a few feet horizontally separated from the main roosts too. Make that bully have to work to be a bully.

As long as mine are not sleeping in the nests and are somewhere predator safe, I really don't care where they sleep. When they mature enough they'll move to the main roosts. It's not that unusual for me to have adults and three different ages of juveniles. They all sleep in different places. As long as no one gets hurt and it is peaceful why should I worry?

 

[rjkold]

Sounds like a common problem. My juveniles aren't usually allowed to use the main roosts with the adults until they mature enough to merge in the pecking order. Until they mature they are automatically at the bottom.

I have seen a hen go from her normal roosting spot to beat up on juveniles trying to roost on the main roosts. The juveniles went to the far back corner but that hen wen out of her way to be a brute to them. She was not the dominant hen but was really low in the pecking order. It's as if she was glad to be on the pecking end instead of the pecked end, but some people on here have said their dominant hen did that.

Possible solutions. Chickens tend to like sleeping as high as they can go. You might try raising that long section 6" or better a foot to see if the older go there and let the younger ones have the lower end. That's kind of what I do, but my juvenile roost is a few feet horizontally separated from the main roosts too. Make that bully have to work to be a bully.

As long as mine are not sleeping in the nests and are somewhere predator safe, I really don't care where they sleep. When they mature enough they'll move to the main roosts. It's not that unusual for me to have adults and three different ages of juveniles. They all sleep in different places. As long as no one gets hurt and it is peaceful why should I worry?

Thank you. It's really hard for me when I see the pecking. Chickens can be down right mean!

 

[aart]

It's really hard for me when I see the pecking. Chickens can be down right mean!

Yes, their form of communication(and that's what pecking is) can seem brutal to humans....
....but it's how they do, it doesn't bother them as much as it bothers some keepers.

Beautiful setup BTW, you have plenty of space for them to work it out.
Try not to worry.

 

[rjkold]

Yes, their form of communication(and that's what pecking is) can seem brutal to humans....
....but it's how they do, it doesn't bother them as much as it bothers some keepers.

Beautiful setup BTW, you have plenty of space for them to work it out.
Try not to worry.

Thank you. I'm learning every day!