chicken math necessitates coop addition- need suggestions

[humboldtpeeps]

Okay all you experts out there- I need to figure out where or how to put on an addition to this is the coop we just finished building

It currently holds four pullets who are almost 3 months old. Which is great- but the problem is... eh, shortly after moving our pullets outside the feed store called to say that they had polish chicks coming in. I was going to just get two but then they were straight run... so i had to get four...I cant believe i came home with FOUR MORE CHICKS!

Where am I going to put these newbies when its time to go outside? I'm on my own here- my housemates disowned me when I came home with more chickens.

Anyway, I'm hoping to eventually integrate the flocks but Ive heard that can be a challenge with polish chickens being picked on so they need a place to go until they get a little bigger and I want to give the two flocks a lot of time where they can see each other and get acclimated without just throwing them in together.

The existing coop/run is 5 X 10 and the coop is 3.5 X 5 elevated 2.5 feet off the ground. Being straight run, i've probably got some roos that ill have to rehome so it may not end up as crowded...

What would you do? if you were short on money and seriously burnt out from three months of building?

Would you frame in part of the area underneath the coop and make it another mini coop that is only 2.5 feet high?

Would you peel off some hardware cloth and add another coop like structure on to the run somewhere else?

I do have a little tikes plastic playhouse that I could convert... but it would need to to be caulked, weatherized and predatorized. im not sure what is more work.

 

[Hoosierchickens]

Well, you've built a coop once....the second time is easier.

It looks to me like your best option is to extend the coop on one end or the other. Depending on how many of the Polish you keep you'll need almost double the space you have.

 

[humboldtpeeps]

I am sooooo not building another coop

the trauma of this one is too fresh!
I realize after rereading my posting that i wasn't all that clear- I guess what I'm looking to do for now is to create a temporary coop space so that I can move these little beasts outside as soon as they feather (I want my bathtub back!) without starting chicken wars.

These four chicks are straight run- so we wont know who is a she or a he for a while and we already have a little waiting list of homes for them since we are only going to keep two pullets.

We want the two that we keep to reside with the rest of the group in one coop eventually. Our ladies are only in the coop when its dark and the rest of the time they are either in this covered attached run or roaming in a 50'x50' uncovered fenced chicken yard so for us, the ~18sq feet in the coop (not counting the nest boxes) where they sleep doesn't concern us as being too small for 6. Even when the weather has been bad they are down in that covered run rather than staying in their elevated box.

When acclimating funny looking little chickens with those who are a few months older- what would be best? creating something within the existing structure so they can all get used to each other or should I put it along the side? any reccomendations when you look at our existing structure of where to fit something temporary in?
I'm wondering things like how long it usually takes to integrate/introduce new chooks, and how big/tall should a 'grow up' coop be?

I know this is kind of a cross over question/issue/topic and i'm not sure if it wouldn't be more appropriate for the 'raising baby chicks' or 'flock management' sections.. ill try posting elsewhere if i don't hear anything on this thread.
Thanks!

 

[Farmer_Dan]

put a cage in the cage so to speak. After they are feathered up and ready to move out, just put them in their own cage inside your current coop. Within a couple weeks, you shoudl be able to take the cage out and let them allplay together. IMO, best not to build another whole coop for just a couple weeks of integration time.

OTOH, I have 3 or 4 portable coop / tractor / hutch things that roam around the yard in addition to the perminant coop.

A quick a-frame out of 2x2's and hardware wire / thin plywood could be a cheap alternative.


OH... also, there's craigslist, sometimes I find free / inexpensive coops on there as long as you have a truck to pick it up with.

GL, nice lookin coop

 

[teach1rusl]

If you can predator proof the LT playhouse, I'd build another platform to sit under it (just for easy access to the house really) and open up a section of HW cloth on the right side of the run (based on photo) that is the size of your pop door. That's my suggestion if you're up to here with building right now...