Some people add light, especially if you live in the far north, where the day length is short.
I don't as I don't have electricity to my coop. But this is the reason, people stockpile eggs in the summer, water glass them or freeze them. The long dark nights of winter drastically reduce eggs.
oh the Chicken Drama. I finally PUT a nest on the floor, so at least they would lay on the floor where I wanted! Drove me nuts. I have had these same 4 nests since 1992, and they were well used before I got them.
I was all set to tear them out, and build new nests and for some unknown reason...
I am thinking you are headed into molt. Up here in SD, molt is in full swing!
However, go down with a cup of coffee and just sit for quite a while. When mine have quit laying all at once...often times it is a hidden nest. Watch for a hen to disappear. And to be honest, many's a time it is...
Stop petting her. Some chickens like being pets, and others need more space. They really are not like puppies and kittens where as if you pet them, they become life long friends.
She is telling you, give me more space, this is a chicken you enjoy by just watching her.
Mrs K
Really rain mostly slides off. And they are heat machines. They dry out fast.
Give chickens choice, they know more about being a chicken than we do. If they have a choice of in or out, that is different than either trapped in or trapped out. Either of those could cause problems
Water, feed and protection from the elements is nothing to be guilty about.
Truthfully some will like being lap chickens and a lot won’t no matter how you raise them. It depends on the bird and their temperament.
Mrs K
I think I would let everyone one out. If you have a good rooster he just might settle it. It also might be that they split up differently into the two coops.
I think space is much more important and has a great deal to do with how all chickens behave, but especially cockerels and roosters.
But also, there is a world of difference in a farm set up and a backyard set up, where as the children are playing in the same yard and space as the chickens...
Try the pin less peepers. A lot of people swear by them. Actually, put the peepers on while you have them separated for a couple of days and then let them out with the flock. I would pull out the victims for just a day or two, as you see how they interact with the others, then if that is calm...
In my experience, older birds have more blood spots?
What I would suggest to the OP, is get just pullets. Get some experience. Really the chance of 2 roosters and 1 hen working was almost nil at the beginning.
Roosters and cockerels take some experience, I am pretty confident, they would be...
Pull the worst bully, keep her confined. See if you can get the other one to work into the flock. That's one idea. Sometimes, you have a real mean bird, and the other will follow her lead. Pull her out, and get the rest of the flock to settle.
The other idea, is to pull the two victims. The...
Black rubber bowls - for water. I don't have electricity at the coop, and I can stomp out the ice.
Clutter, hideouts, roosts in the run, multiple feed bowls and old waste hay to keep their feet cleaner.
Metal garbage can for feed. I only buy layer feed or chick feed, and scratch. I got it into...
I used to have a lot of theories about cockerels and roosters. Now, I don't. Some are fabulous, some are fair, and some are awful. It is a roll of the dice. Really does not depend much on human behavior. Training from chicks on, might have limited help, but really once they have become mean...
This frequently happens, people with multiple roosters will cull an aggressive rooster, and the former mild rooster comes into his 'oats' so to speak and becomes aggressive.Over at the other place, he was not top dog. Because there were so many bigger, more aggressive roosters, he was kept in...