I have ordered 6 chicks to add to my flock. Well, to add to my existing pair of hens. Some background - I inherited a pair of Plymouth Rock hens, a coop and run from a friend who moved. They are 2 years old. The coop is 4'x8', and tall enough to stand up straight in. Inside, there is a raised sleeping area where my 2 ladies sleep next to each other. It is about 4' across and 2' wide, filled with bedding. THeir coop is inside a 12' X 21' fenced run, but they wander around my sizeable fenced in yard most days. I am pretty comfortable raising the chicks in the house. I am a teacher and have done that before in my classroom. However, once they are old enough, or too big for the house, I am a little at a loss as to what to do next. Questions I have are:
1) Do I need to add another sleeping loft to the coop?
2) If I split the run to allow them to acclimate to one another, how do I split the coop so they can all sleep inside, separately?
3) How long will it take the new hens to learn to go to bed at night time. My current pair retire for the evening without any prompting.
I suddenly feel like I was ready for some new chicks, but woefully unprepared for them to be hens! Do I need to start building?
Thank you in advance for any assistance!
By the way, I am getting 2 Australorps, 2 Bielfelders, and 2
1) Do I need to add another sleeping loft to the coop?
2) If I split the run to allow them to acclimate to one another, how do I split the coop so they can all sleep inside, separately?
3) How long will it take the new hens to learn to go to bed at night time. My current pair retire for the evening without any prompting.
I suddenly feel like I was ready for some new chicks, but woefully unprepared for them to be hens! Do I need to start building?
Thank you in advance for any assistance!
By the way, I am getting 2 Australorps, 2 Bielfelders, and 2