Anyone have their chickens in more than one coop?

[jmc]

Thanks for the help, all!

What an awesome thing is BYC family, I have found.

Adding on to the present coop is not a possibility, which is just as well, since it is a bit too small, etc. etc.

I don't think the babies will be too disrupted at this point, as they are only 11 wks. old today, not laying yet.

tx again

What on earth does 'lol' stand for? My only guess is lotsaluck (pronounced 'rotsaruk' in some countries!)

 

[wegotchickens]

Laugh Out Loud is LOL

Although we do all wish everyone lots of luck around here!

 

[jmc]

Thank you, WeGot....!!

 

[wegotchickens]

Anytime!

I was thinking about this thread yesterday afternoon as I watched my bigs & littles all free-range together. As three Welsummers ran over a couple of d'uccles while persuing a bug I reconfirmed my desire to keep using 2 seperate coops!

 

[jmc]

Nice thought WeGot...!

Now a related question for the panel or whoever hasn't dropped this thread (so soon?!):

If you have separate coops, i.e. separate roosting quarters and laying quarters, there seems to be no guarantee at all that this bird or that bird will go to the roost/lay house you want, or maybe switch around.

See, the idea of ranging my tiny flock together in one nice run is super appealing (rather than one run to each coop); but if both coops are open to any bird any time so to say, who's to prevent an undesireable mixing? Do any of you give your birds free choice of coop and let them decide? Or do you provide separate run for each coop?

Note: I have only RIR pullets; no roosters, bantams, and am not breeding (yet)

tx again

 

[jmc]

Quote:
I like the idea about birds in separate coops poss. being even safer than if all together. thank you!

 

[priszilla]

mine are in lots of seperate housing.I wish I had ONE big barn for all of them, but I don't. SInce I let my turkeys free range and they go "quality test" everyones food they can reach it is all cross contaminated anyway.SO many birds, so little time!

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

We have one hen house and a chick house, when the chicks get big enough they move on, or if we don't have anymore chicks we will usually clean and close the chick house.

 

[wegotchickens]

Mine only range when I'm home and with them. Although they each explore the other coop/run during that time, they go to the correct home at night.

My Welsummers get beaten up every so often by my older hens, so sometimes they try to sneak into the 'baby' coop. But usually when I say "Bedtime! Everyone go home!" they all run into the correct enclosure.

I have no roos of breeding age just yet, but since I will have one standard sized roo and will have just one banty roo I think I'll be able to keep everyone to their correct hens. Supervised free-ranging will help with that, too. And my hens have laid their eggs before I get home to let them out. So mixing up the nesting areas hasn't been an issue.

Chickens are creatures of habit, so as long as they go to the same coop every night I don't think their will be much confusion later on. But if you have a hen low on the pecking order she might want to slide into a new area....

 

[jmc]

WeGot

Thank you for your kindness and time