Getting a second coop for new chicks before integrating? What size?

[ferryman]

Hello!

I am probably overthinking this but I wanted to get some feedback on integrating flocks. I have read several threads about this but still have a few questions. I wasn't sure if I should post here or in the coop form but opted here since it's an integration question?

For starters, I have a flock five chicks I got in May. Then we got 9 more chicks in early September that are 6 weeks old. Not important but we call them the syndicate to differentiate them. They have outgrown our tiny brooder and I'd like to move them outside. Temps at 50 at night and 65ish during the day. Our main flock free roams but I bought a 60x10 chicken run so I can start keeping everyone close during the mornings (and keep the new chicks in until they're 12 weeks or older).

For the chicken coop, I built Justin Rhodes chickshaw 2.0 that is in rough shape (we have goats that love climbing in and destroying everything in it). I would like to buy a second coop for the new chicks. I don't want a huge one though. I want a small, cheap one from Amazon or Tractor supply that I can keep around for when I have broody hens or a sick/injured/bully bird. Besides having a coop for emergencies, it'd be nice to have a coop with a run so I can feed the syndiate their grower feed easily.

What is the smallest size coop that I can get away with for nine 6-12 week old chickens before moving them into the chickshaw? Should I just put them in the chickshaw right off the bat even though they're half the size of our big ones? I've been letting them get to know each other a bit through some mesh and they seem to be okay. The chickshaw doesn't have areas for them to hide from the big ones though and there's still the issue of feeding them separately.



Pics in case they help:

The current fab five posing for a card or album cover or something

The chickshaw we're using. Pardon the mess, I'm winterizing the place.

The 9 chicks in the way-too-small brooder.

Pic of the coop I'm considering because it folds and could probably be stored fairly easy. Reviews say it's flimsy but I only need it for ~2 months + whatever arises.

 

[NatJ]

What is the smallest size coop that I can get away with for nine 6-12 week old chickens before moving them into the chickshaw?

If they are going to be in the coop all the time, the usual rule of thumb is 2 square feet per chick up to 8 weeks old, and 4 square feet per chick after that time (=full adult space).

If they have access to a run, and spend much of their waking time there, they might be OK with less coop space. Maybe.

For run size, the usual advice is 10 square feet per bird (no special number given for chicks vs. adults.)

we got 9 more chicks in early September that are 6 weeks old...They have outgrown our tiny brooder and I'd like to move them outside. Temps at 50 at night and 65ish during the day.

Yes, they have definitely outgrown that brooder.

Is the heat plate still plugged in? If so, unplug it. They do not need heat at the temperatures you currently have. If the heat plateit is unplugged and just sitting there for them to climb on and hide under, that should be fine. It would also be fine to remove it entirely.

For the chicken coop, I built Justin Rhodes chickshaw 2.0

That looks like it is just for sleeping and egg laying, and they are never expected to be shut in during the daytime, right? For that use, it can get away with less space per chicken (as compared with coops where the chickens spend time inside during bad weather, or until the person lets them out in the morning, or various other situations.)

What is the smallest size coop that I can get away with for nine 6-12 week old chickens before moving them into the chickshaw? Should I just put them in the chickshaw right off the bat even though they're half the size of our big ones? I've been letting them get to know each other a bit through some mesh and they seem to be okay. The chickshaw doesn't have areas for them to hide from the big ones though and there's still the issue of feeding them separately.

A separate coop for the young ones is probably a good idea at this time. I would not recommend shutting them in the chicksaw with the bigger chickens, at least not until after they have spent plenty of days freely mingling and you can see that they don't have problems. I don't know if they will need to be fully grown up before they can sleep in there safely together, or if it will be fine sooner than that.

Besides having a coop for emergencies, it'd be nice to have a coop with a run so I can feed the syndiate their grower feed easily.

The chickshaw doesn't have areas for them to hide from the big ones though and there's still the issue of feeding them separately.

What are the older ones eating? It should be fine to feed grower feed to all of them.

Whether the older ones are laying or not, you can just provide a separate dish of oyster shell for calcium, and the ones that need it will typically eat the right amount while the ones that don't need it will typically try a bite or two and then ignore it.

You might still need more than one feeder, if the older ones don't want to share with the younger ones. But you can put the same feed in all feeders, so it does not matter which birds eat from which one.

Pics in case they help:

Yes, pictures are definitely helpful in understanding situations like this