Adding new hens to my flock

[rosemarythyme]

Yes it is a heat lamp. We've had a few nights in the 20's and I keep my flock cozy.

I'd really reconsider the heat lamp. Unless you're raising new chicks in a brooder in the coop, they definitely don't need it and it's more of a fire hazard than anything else. They can fall, the bulbs can shatter, someone recently even had a bird somehow get lodged into one. Chickens can tolerate below freezing temps without a problem as long as they have protection from wind and rain, which your coop looks like it handles without issue.

On the plus side you really do have coop space plenty for quite a good number of birds (most of us have nothing near as big, so we're jealous!) so even without adding a second coop like you're suggesting you should be able to grow your flock without the issues that many others face.

I'd adjust the roost too to be higher with rungs a little more separated but if you're satisfied with their current sleeping habits then that's not a huge deal to me.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I

I have turned heat lamp off since reading your advice.

Don't be surprised if the chickens seem confused or upset by the lamp being turned off. They don't like change, but they'll adjust to it in a few days.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My broody hen always hatches in nests above the floor. When she wants, she gets all those balls of fluff down. Dropping about 3 feet with no damage or injury. Just before hatching, I give a broom out to the coop and put in fresh bedding. All my hens have created a nest on the floor, none of them where I thought would be best.

My experiences also.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The top of nests is probably much more comfortable that the metal gate 'roosts'.
Put a sharply angled board(~45° or steeper) above nests, so they can't roost there.

To me, the top of the nests look higher than the top of the gate. Chickens tend to sleep on the highest place possible. That would be my guess why they are sleeping up there.

Aart, what is the downside to them sleeping on top of the nests? They are not sleeping or pooping in the nests. I use the top of my nests as a dropping board under my juvenile roost.

Again a guess but if you put a sloped top over those roosts they will probably move down and sleep inside the nests. If you decide to put a sloped top so they cannot sleep on the top of the nests I'd suggest you put a roost higher than the top of the nests somewhere in the coop and train them to use that. If you integrate a lot more chickens in there I think additional higher roost space should go in anyway. Otherwise I think there is a pretty good chance the ones that can't fit up on top of the nests will sleep in the nests.

If you create a hollow space the chickens can't get to, you have created a perfect pace for Mommy Mouse to raise her family.

Personally I would not potentially create two problems, sleeping in the nests and a haven for Mommy Mouse, to solve a problem that I don't consider a problem.

 

[animallover2019]

I've decided to add 6 more hens to my flock of 9 I currently have. I believe my flock ages are 9 to 12 months now and the new ones are about 6 months. How can I introduce them to the same coop or do they need to stay seperate? I'm still new to the chicken farm just started in June 2019.

when we brought in more new chicks we separated them with a make shift chicken wire fence in the yard, then slowly introduced them while supervising them, did the same at night while roosting, if yours are not free range then put the "fence" in the coop anyway thats what we did, hope this helped

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks Aart, figured I could count on you. Sure saved me a lot of typing.

Wait! What?.....you already have chicks brewing!?:

Do you happen to know where Stephnrobby is located? Could be the middle of summer there as far as I know? Another case where knowing general location might be helpful.

 

[Stephnrobby]

More curious about all the hatching chicks......but...yeah....
@Stephnrobby
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!
View attachment 2010698

I live in clanton Alabama. My hatching eggs are from my rhode island red rooster that has been gone couple weeks due to chicken hawk. My coop is a 20x12

 

[Stephnrobby]

I don't know how much room you have or how your room is set up. That is pretty important. If you have sufficient room it could be pretty easy. If space is tight it could be more of a challenge.

@aart has a copy and paste section that gives the generic recommendations which are as specific as we can get since we don't know what you have to work with. Hopefully she is online and willing to share.

If your six month olds are laying the older ones should treat them as adults. They will sort out the pecking order and soon merge to one flock. It's often a little more violent but is typically quickly settled. The more room the better.

If the young ones are not yet laying they will likely stay separate from the older ones, sort of forming a sub-flock. They will probably avoid the older ones during the day and not sleep on the same roosts at night. If you have enough room for them to avoid the older ones day and night it's usually more peaceful but takes longer. There are always exceptions since you are dealing with living animals but we are talking generic, not specifics. If space is tight it can become quite violent.

I currently have a 20x12 coop. Working on building another coop this weekend for my babies when they get big enough.

 

[Stephnrobby]

Is that just the coop....or does it include a run?
Pics, Please?


If just the coop.....again...consider this:

I free range them during the day

 

[Stephnrobby]

Is that just the coop....or does it include a run?
Pics, Please?


If just the coop.....again...consider this: