yr chx won’t roost note reminded me of my grandfather’s coop, where they spent a half-hour or so clucking it out before settling. then, if the lights were switched back on — you’d forgotten your gloves or whatever — they all hit the roof in a flurry of feathers and then took another half-hour or so working it out again. this was also how you’d figure out the foxes were about — the noise. but, then, there were a hundred or so cluckers to noise about.
I don’t know what kind of chickens they are, though I have been told repeatedly. I simply have no mind for such details I guess. They’re the yellow and black kind is what comes out of my head 😉
Given the tick I helped Susan remove from her head this weekend, I would say they have a ways to go.
This business of the chickens not roosting is more than that. Basically the black ones hate the yellow ones and are belligerent and chase them around and peck at them, and defend the roost. The yellows are chickens and won’t confront them, so come dark, they end up huddled pathetically in the corner of the downstairs freezing. We have been grabbing them up and chucking them into the upstairs roost after forcibly displacing the black ones. Hopefully they soon work this out and become buddies.
The chickens are yellow orpingtons and australorp/bantam crosses, 3 of each. They are actually settling in a bit now with the black ones being a bit less bossy. They’ve all managed to roost in the main part of the coop now, leaving the nesting boxes open until the time when the eggs come, hopefully. It’s been less than a week so I think we are doing well to get them settled and used to each other. Can’t wait for you to see them.
well, that sounds good! my grandfather kept his bantams separate from his laying flock because they were so combative. the flock had to stay inside the fence while the bantams got the run of the yard. unless i got the name wrong, they were called rhode island reds.
Dave's Place/Metamusing 
any tick population depletion noticed yet? also, what birds did you decide on?
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yr chx won’t roost note reminded me of my grandfather’s coop, where they spent a half-hour or so clucking it out before settling. then, if the lights were switched back on — you’d forgotten your gloves or whatever — they all hit the roof in a flurry of feathers and then took another half-hour or so working it out again. this was also how you’d figure out the foxes were about — the noise. but, then, there were a hundred or so cluckers to noise about.
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Hey Dad,
I don’t know what kind of chickens they are, though I have been told repeatedly. I simply have no mind for such details I guess. They’re the yellow and black kind is what comes out of my head 😉
Given the tick I helped Susan remove from her head this weekend, I would say they have a ways to go.
This business of the chickens not roosting is more than that. Basically the black ones hate the yellow ones and are belligerent and chase them around and peck at them, and defend the roost. The yellows are chickens and won’t confront them, so come dark, they end up huddled pathetically in the corner of the downstairs freezing. We have been grabbing them up and chucking them into the upstairs roost after forcibly displacing the black ones. Hopefully they soon work this out and become buddies.
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you probly need to research your breeds. some chickens are more territorial than others and will never give up the roost.
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Big D,
The chickens are yellow orpingtons and australorp/bantam crosses, 3 of each. They are actually settling in a bit now with the black ones being a bit less bossy. They’ve all managed to roost in the main part of the coop now, leaving the nesting boxes open until the time when the eggs come, hopefully. It’s been less than a week so I think we are doing well to get them settled and used to each other. Can’t wait for you to see them.
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well, that sounds good! my grandfather kept his bantams separate from his laying flock because they were so combative. the flock had to stay inside the fence while the bantams got the run of the yard. unless i got the name wrong, they were called rhode island reds.
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