All hens crowding into one of my two hen houses

[whitecap]

I need some advice about sleeping arrangements. I have 3 hens that are 2 years old and 4 more hens plus a rooster were added about 8 months ago. I built another hen house to accommodate the extra hens. The 3 older hens were sleeping together in the old house and the 5 new ones in the new house. A month ago one of the older hens switched from the old hen house to the new one. Now all 8 hens are crowding into the same 4’x4’ house. Both of the houses are the same size but one is higher off the ground. How can I encourage the older hens to sleep in the older hen house?

 

[Chookchicken]

Flocks will normally sleep together to try and keep each other safe. The older ones will be more tempted to sleep with the younger ones to protect them. If you can find a way to expand the already existing coop it would help. I know this probably won’t help but this is my advice

 

[Ebony Rose]

That they choose to sleep together indicates that they've become 'one flock'. This is what most of us hope for when integrating flocks.

 

[3KillerBs]

Can you put the two houses together and remove the abutting walls to make them one?

 

[whitecap]

Can you put the two houses together and remove the abutting walls to make them one?

I wish that I could join the houses but it would be too difficult to move them together. I love that the flocks are integrated but 8 is way too many for a 4x4 hen house. I just need to find a way to get some of the hens to sleep in the old house.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Can you get a bigger coop? This is the issue with having multiple coops and expecting the birds will go where you want them to.

 

[aart]

Either get a coop big enough for all, or fence them separately.