Golden Comets + Buff Orpingtons?

[calvertcounty]

Hi All,

I'm new here and was wondering whether Golden Comets and Buff Orpingtons should be fine to raise together. I'm planning on getting 2 of each and while it looks like they're both pretty friendly breeds, there is eventually a pretty decent size difference. Will that be a problem?

The other issue is that I know the Orpingtons are pretty decent sized birds and I wanted to check whether the coop would be big enough for all 4. We're doing a pre-fab to start out with the following dimensions: 83L x 35W x 52H inches (the enclosed coop+nestbox area is only 26x36 inches of floor). The birds will be let out every day to a separate run in the backyard so they won't only be in that area. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Welcome to BYC.
Are you sourcing your orps from a breeding line or hatchery/retail store stock? This will significantly impact the actual size of your birds as production birds (hatchery/store) are not going to be from the sort of lines that will attain the size of a bird from lines bred to the breed standards. My hatchery orps are the same size as my sex links and other production bred birds (your comets are sex links)

That being said, the coop you are planning to use does not sound adequate for four birds. While it *may* work, the odds are against you (and the birds). When you say they will be let out daily - will that be all day or only for a portion of the day? Will the separate run allow them access to the coop for purposes of accessing the nest boxes (when the time comes) or is it an entirely separate enclosed area? What is the climate you are in? Using minimal space is not an issue during good weather when the birds are out and about and only using the shelter space to roost and lay eggs, but during times when the birds won't go out (excessive rain, wind, snow) and are staying in the small space for extended periods of time it can quickly become a problem.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

As to breed compatibility - GC *can* be a bit more aggressive and BO tend to be fairly submissive -- those are generalities, though, and the overall success of your mix will depend, in large part, on the personalities of the individual birds you get. In this area, too, space becomes a factor as even the most submissive of breeds can become aggressive when stressed. With regards to the compatibility issue you will simply have to invest time in observing your birds to spot any potential issues and be ready to respond accordingly should excessive aggression become an issue.

 

[donrae]

Those breeds can be housed together, but not in that space. If I'm reading right, the entire thing is 6 feet x 3 feet? And the coop itself is only 2 x 3 feet? You can keep maybe two large fowl birds in that space. You need to re-think your coop plans, those pre-fab deals are a bad way to go. They always state they'll hold more birds than they actually will and are usually poorly made.

If you've not read this article, spend a minute and read it. Save it for future reference

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

 

[calvertcounty]

Thanks for the replies Ol Grey Mare and donrae. We'd be getting them from the local hatcher supply so maybe there won't be the size difference I'm worried about. I'm sure we'll learn to appreciate their individual personalities soon enough!

Let me elaborate on the space bit - one of the difficulties I found was that unless you're willing to spend ~$600 or more, it's pretty hard to get a decently reviewed pre-fab coop that has adequate space for anything above 2 chickens (at least according to the guidelines on byc and most other reputable places). I'm almost certainly going to attach another section into the pre-fab coop to extend their sleeping space. I think I'm going to probably put together my own coop in a couple years, but for right now I might just extend the pre-fab we have. We live in Southern Maryland, so we get cold winters and hot summers. I explained my plans for their coop and run in another post - so I'll copy it here and definitely appreciate feedback:

I'm planning on having separate caged in coop and run areas for 4 chickens. Both the coop area and run area would be simple structures using ptl and hardware cloth. We have plenty of predators in the rural area we live in and I don't trust the simple pre-fab coop I'll be using initially to protect the chickens from foxes, raccoons and hawks. The plan is to take the chickens out of the coop area in the morning and put them in the enclosed backyard run area until dusk when I'd bring them back in for the night. The backyard run will be 4'x8' and I plan to be able to move it around our yard every couple weeks so they get some new territory to peck at and so they help us fertilize the backyard! I've been lurking on BYC for a while and think I have this part somewhat figured out as the hardware cloth enclosure and a 2' apron should be sufficient to keep them safe (though if anyone has other recs, I'm all ears!). Part of the backyard run will have a roof and will have an enclosed space as well in case its too windy/chilly.

We have a large raised deck in our back yard above a ground level area that has loose stone for the flooring (I've already put on a waterproofed plywood floor on paver sand as a base). There's a door that leads directly from the garage through the back to this sub-deck area. My current plan is to put a 4'x8' frame enclosed with hardware cloth around the pre-fab coop I bought (http://www.hayneedle.com/product/boomerandgeorgetreetopschickencoop1.cfm) underneath the deck. I realize this sounds like overkill but my wife insists her chicken babies be inside fort knox and I think the location will help protect them from the elements/insulate them a little. Based on the replies and the space concerns, I'm thinking about doing away with the small run the pre-fab coop comes with. That way I can add more floor space to the coop and the chickens can still wander the area around the coop on days when the weather is too poor to let them out into the backyard run.

 

[donrae]

Instead of buying a pre-fab coop, have you looked into building a coop yourself? Or if you know anyone with basic carpentry skills, pay or better yet, barter them to build one for you. Lots of folks have put up some nice looking coops for a good price using reclaimed wood, or haunting CL to find coops folks are selling. I just hate to see anyone go that pre-fab route. they're so tiny and usually not well constructed.