2 Coops 1 Run help Chickens only use 1

[Rosegarden2020]

Help! Purchased a wooden coop (supposed to hold four but reviews say realistically about 2 full grown chickens) to go inside of our 10x13 run and realized that our 4 pullets would soon outgrow it. Purchased another thinking that a couple of them might gravitate to the new one to have more night space to roost and sleep. They all still crowd in the one and use the other to lay eggs. Each coop has two nesting boxes, but they all seem to want to share the same one box. How do I get them to spread out a little?

 

[DouglasB]

they like to crowd together, especially when its cold, helps keep them warm. I built all kinds of stuff for mine that i thought they would love. They still sleep where they want. I quess they weren't as impressed as I thought they would be. Chickens are gonna do what they want.

 

[Rosegarden2020]

Ok-thank you! If I add a couple of chickens to the flock next year would they perhaps use the other coop?

 

[DobieLover]

Help! Purchased a wooden coop (supposed to hold four but reviews say realistically about 2 full grown chickens) to go inside of our 10x13 run and realized that our 4 pullets would soon outgrow it. Purchased another thinking that a couple of them might gravitate to the new one to have more night space to roost and sleep. They all still crowd in the one and use the other to lay eggs. Each coop has two nesting boxes, but they all seem to want to share the same one box. How do I get them to spread out a little?

Chickens are flock creatures. They want to stay together.
The solutions to the problem are ONE larger coop or physically divide the flock into two groups. Those prefab coops don't really have proper roosting space (or ventilation or size or security for that matter).
Personally, I would start looking for or building one larger coop for them.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I have 16 hens/pullets and 3 nesting boxes. I use to have 6 nesting boxes but they only used 3 so I removed the ones they didn't use.
I agree with the advice to build your own coop, you may be able to find an unused shed or structure that you can remodel into a coop.

 

[aart]

but they all seem to want to share the same one box. How do I get them to spread out a little?

Put a fake egg in each nest, that should 'spread the love'.

Chickens are flock creatures. They want to stay together.
The solutions to the problem are ONE larger coop or physically divide the flock into two groups. Those prefab coops don't really have proper roosting space (or ventilation or size or security for that matter).
Personally, I would start looking for or building one larger coop for them.

Ditto Dat!!!

 

[Rosegarden2020]

Thanks everyone! I did put a couple of false eggs in each nesting box. They kick them out of the box in the coop they use for sleeping. I could try to separate them-but I heard that chickens have buddies and I’m not sure yet how they’re matched up. I’ll post a couple of pictures tomorrow as the current coops fit nicely in the run and it seems daunting to start over ~