We decided to add two 3 month pullets to our existing flock of three 10 month old chickens who free range during the day.
Our three happy chickens live in a little convertible coop. When we purchased it, it seemed like we could max out at 6 birds, spatially. So felt comfortable adding two more.
For the past two weeks the new 3 month olds are in a very small coop— a converted bunny hutch that I raised up and made the top into sleeping area with a roosting bar. We enclosed the space around with 4 foot wire. This little coop is tight and we only intended to keep them there for these first two weeks.
We are hesitant because we really aren’t sure if they can all fit in the bigger coop at night. I retrofitted that coop and it now has just one roosting bar that I installed to be higher than the nesting boxes. However, There is still a lower roost that the new 2 pullets could be on.
I’m wondering if I should not introduce the two new ones into the larger coop at all—and make these two separate flocks. We’d provide the new ones their own larger coop. I’d like advice on that.
Do separate flocks integrate during the day, and then go into separate coops at night? If that’s the case, we are considering getting another one of the convertible coops for the two new pullets.
I’d love for the 5 to integrate during the day because they would all free range together, and the three older girls seem to stick together and look out for each other.
We live on a couple acres of country property with many predators.
I’d like to add— the two new pullets are flyers and have gotten out and wandered into the bigger coop. And vice versa.
My concern is more focused on them having adequate space to sleep at night.
I’ll add pictures of the larger coop and the little one for some perspective. The interior pic shows the larger coop bar I put in
Thanks in advance for input of advice.
Our three happy chickens live in a little convertible coop. When we purchased it, it seemed like we could max out at 6 birds, spatially. So felt comfortable adding two more.
For the past two weeks the new 3 month olds are in a very small coop— a converted bunny hutch that I raised up and made the top into sleeping area with a roosting bar. We enclosed the space around with 4 foot wire. This little coop is tight and we only intended to keep them there for these first two weeks.
We are hesitant because we really aren’t sure if they can all fit in the bigger coop at night. I retrofitted that coop and it now has just one roosting bar that I installed to be higher than the nesting boxes. However, There is still a lower roost that the new 2 pullets could be on.
I’m wondering if I should not introduce the two new ones into the larger coop at all—and make these two separate flocks. We’d provide the new ones their own larger coop. I’d like advice on that.
Do separate flocks integrate during the day, and then go into separate coops at night? If that’s the case, we are considering getting another one of the convertible coops for the two new pullets.
I’d love for the 5 to integrate during the day because they would all free range together, and the three older girls seem to stick together and look out for each other.
We live on a couple acres of country property with many predators.
I’d like to add— the two new pullets are flyers and have gotten out and wandered into the bigger coop. And vice versa.
My concern is more focused on them having adequate space to sleep at night.
I’ll add pictures of the larger coop and the little one for some perspective. The interior pic shows the larger coop bar I put in
Thanks in advance for input of advice.