Pecking Order and Roosting Issues

[KerriChick]

My 4 girls (18 weeks mixed flock, RIR, Buff Brahma, Buff Orpington, Cuckoo Marans) have been slowly working out their pecking order in our suburban back yard. They all seem to get along fine during the day-while they are out and about, there is no feather picking or major fighting behavior minus the occasional ruffled neck challenge when I first let them out in the morning. Other than that they seem pretty bonded and stick together in the yard. The problem is at night-we have 2 roost bars in my gambrel roof coop about 18 inches apart-our top hen and second in command each take one roost bar, and the other two sleep on the floor! They did have a scuffle the other night when my husband and I were out on the patio, and that night the two bottom hens slept on the bars instead! But it changed back after two days. Our coop is raised up with shavings underneath the bars in the coop with a small area underneath that I put sand in, and the ramp is open to that area-one of the roost bars is over the opening and it is the less desirable bar for the chickens.(coop locks up tight) Attached photo of coop. I am worried the coop is too small since the brahma is going to be a big girl and the other three are full size healthy hens, but there technically should be plenty of room for all four to fit! Any ideas? Should I intervene and put the two on the floor up on the roost or does that screw with whatever they are working out?

 

[sourland]

That's rather limited space for 4 full sized hens. You don't give a location, but if you are in an area that has winters where they will be confined to that coop more troubles will ensue.

 

[KerriChick]

We are in the east bay of SF in California, our winters are very mild. We maybe get a couple frosts a year. Heat and dry air is our main issue here. We plan on having them out through the winter during the day and we are homebodies so they will very very rarely be confined in there later than whenever I or my daughter get up in the morning to let them out!(they free range and are also kept in a chicken tent for part of the day when it gets hot and they just want shade and a nap)

 

[aart]

Attached photo of coop. I am worried the coop is too small since the brahma is going to be a big girl and the other three are full size healthy hens, but there technically should be plenty of room for all four to fit!

They don't read the tech manuals.

Very small coop for 4 full grown LF, probably not well ventilated either.

 

[KerriChick]

Yeah it has a back window vent and the bottom is open to the bottom so better ventilated than some. It's what we have for now. They don't go in until right at sundown and are up and out really early-it cools to 55-60F at night here even in the summer. We plan on replacing as soon as we can, was just a starter coop for us!