We are currently buiding a new coop for our 8 chickens. They are currently living in our barn, where they roam the floors when the weather doesn’t invite outdoor activities.
We are in Manitoba, Canada, where winter weather (snow) lasts from October until April. The new coop will be roomier for more fun during our long winters.
My flock consists of 2 sub flocks. The “old” chickens are 3 hens and the rooster, the “new” chickens are 4 Brahma hens that I bought as adults last summer. (They are all the same age, 3 years old.) These Brahmas are very demure and docile ( two of them seem especially scared). In my barn there are some dead ends that make it hard for the scaredy hens to feel comfortable. (They had finally started laying in December, but then stopped again.)
I am trying to fix this for the new coop.
What are some general tips for setting up the inside of my new 16 x 12 feet coop, that help the underdog hens get away from the bold ones and make them feel comfortable?
So far I am making sure there will be no dead ends. There should be enough space on the roosting bars, that will be low to the ground (Brahmas feet have issues). Nesting boxes... how do you provide nesting boxes for scared hens? They get chased out by the “old” hens...
I would like to make it work that they can all live together, since I don’t want to make more than one door for them.
Here is a picture that shows them in the main hallway of the barn. As you can see, one “old” hen has to wear peepers...
Any advice appreciated!
We are in Manitoba, Canada, where winter weather (snow) lasts from October until April. The new coop will be roomier for more fun during our long winters.
My flock consists of 2 sub flocks. The “old” chickens are 3 hens and the rooster, the “new” chickens are 4 Brahma hens that I bought as adults last summer. (They are all the same age, 3 years old.) These Brahmas are very demure and docile ( two of them seem especially scared). In my barn there are some dead ends that make it hard for the scaredy hens to feel comfortable. (They had finally started laying in December, but then stopped again.)
I am trying to fix this for the new coop.
What are some general tips for setting up the inside of my new 16 x 12 feet coop, that help the underdog hens get away from the bold ones and make them feel comfortable?
So far I am making sure there will be no dead ends. There should be enough space on the roosting bars, that will be low to the ground (Brahmas feet have issues). Nesting boxes... how do you provide nesting boxes for scared hens? They get chased out by the “old” hens...
I would like to make it work that they can all live together, since I don’t want to make more than one door for them.
Here is a picture that shows them in the main hallway of the barn. As you can see, one “old” hen has to wear peepers...
Any advice appreciated!
But the idea makes sense, that if a hen is "patrolling" the nests it's harder for her to see inside as she walks by.
