As I discovered while trying to decide what kind of chickens to get, I learned that having all the chickens the same breed, lowers the stress level . As chicks get older and learn their pecking order in the group. There is less fighting. The other night when I was working near the pen, one of the pullets made a noise and the race was on, because each chicken knew their position in the group, they went to roost in a line each chicken knew when to enter the roosting area the last one took what was left. The chicken that was last always sat on the end on the roost one down, since I have all the chickens banded and numbered I can see that it was the same chicken. This chicken is always away from the others . So to keep the stress down I have two feeders each on opposite sides, less stress
When the pullets wake up at 4am when the lights come on , they are out off the roost in under a minute all 14 of them and in order. The cockeral that I had put a lot of stress on the pullets always showing the other chickens who is the boss. That is why I had to remove him, plus he had started to crow not good for the neighbors. but could not eat him so I gave him to my stepson Sean. note: on my progress with the new portable brooder that I am building everything is done except the roof . I want to get this stuff done before winter dips down to freezing today I covered the saw dust and wood chips to keep them dry and I also covered the top soil that I use for the dusting boxes, I need to keep it dry also.