Are 2 coops needed?

[donsgirl67]

So I'm planning my coop and learning all I can at the same time and here is my question asi see conflicting info...If I want layers and meat birds, do I have to have 2 coops to keep them and the roo separate?

 

[loveourbirds]

it is best to have 2 coops, but not necessary. by having 2 coops you can raise the protein on the meat birds yielding better meat quality and faster growth. however, you can let them run with your laying hens - they will still gain weight just fine.

 

[donsgirl67]

If I only have one coop, how do you keep the roo from taking care f all the hens? I'm sorry. Total newb here but I really want to learn.

 

[loveourbirds]

if he did take care of the hens, you probably wont notice a difference in the eggs - unless you let them sit for to long.

if your using the cornish rock cross, you will butcher the cockerels before they are old enough to breed. the drawbacks of the one coop method is - its hard to mix chicks and hens. you may look into building a "chicken tractor" for your meat birds. buying all new materials you can build one easily for less than $100

 

[loveourbirds]

i guess i need to ask, are you wanting a dual purpose breed - or are you going with hybrids matched for egg laying, and a separate breed for meat.

 

[donsgirl67]

I want dual purpose.

 

[loveourbirds]

ok with dual purpose, your cockerels will get old enough to fertilize the hens if not kept separate. but, 9 out of 10 people cant tell the difference between fertilized and non fertilized eggs. there is no difference in health benefits and no difference in taste.

just so you know, hatching your own chicks is a great hobby - it takes a little work to get onto it, but one good hatch and most people become addicted.

 

[donsgirl67]

I really want to do chicks but I'm a little scared now about the chicks and established hens.

 

[loveourbirds]

its not to complicated, after the brooder you would use a grow out pen. when they get about 20 weeks you can normally mix them without much problem. they will pick a little at first to establish pecking order, but they normally stop in a few hours.

a simple grow out pen can be made from (11) 2x4's , a tarp, and some poultry netting.


the wood on the end is because i bought my tarp to short, with 8 foot 2x4's you would use a 10x12 tarp.

 

[Shadow722]

I have 2 coops, 2 pens, and 1 chicken run. I have 15 Golden Laced Wyandote pullets that were born in June that aren't quite able to mix with my 11 Rhode Island Reds, 2 Blue Splash Marans, and the Blue Splash Rooster. The whole group of older birds bully them. I left both pens open to the common chicken run and the older hens and rooster just run them around kept them away from their food, water, and coop. They had to hide together under the coop and the hens still got under there and harassed them. So I will wait a little longer for them to mingle. I am hoping the pullets are laying in the next few weeks. Only one of them is a rooster. So that will leave me with 2 roosters and 27 hens and I hope they all give me an egg a day.

I would go for 2 coops if you plan on raising new chicks each year so you can separate them from the older ones. If you are getting them all at the same time you can put them in one pen until you need to build another.