Hello,
I'm trying to get a handle on what our chickens are up to, they keep playing musical coops.
We currently have 40 chickens in two coops;
Coop number one was built last year and housed 14 birds; Rhode Island Reds, Australorps and Ameraucana's.
We built coop number two early this Spring to house 16 new birds we had in the brooder; Black Jersey Giants, Rhode Island Reds, Ameraucana's.
Both coops are located inside an enclosure (chicken pen), which is opened each day. The chickens are given about 1.25 acres to roam over.
Second batch of chickens moved into their coop without problem. All the birds get along fine, they basically keep themselves segregated into two flocks, with the exception of the two Black Jersey Giant roosters that ride herd over both groups of gals.
The day after the second batch moved into their new digs, I happened upon some day old Egyptian Fayoumi's which I couldn't resist, so I got purchased six, and not wanting them to be lonely in the brooder I also bought 4 Cornish Rocks (which turned out not to be Cornish Rocks, and I have no idea what they are).
When it came time to incorporate them into the two coops, I decided put the four faux Cornish Rocks into the coop with the 14 older birds and put the six Fayoumi's in with the teenagers we got earlier this year. After having read that Fayoumi's are flighty and once released they may go totally feral (and not come back) we kept the chicken enclosure locked for a few days in hopes of ensuring the Fayoumi's would bond with their new coop (and the other birds).
Anyway....suppose I can get down to the topic now (after posting my wall-of-words).
The third batch of birds has been out for a couple of weeks now. They did not like being separated, first the faux Cornish Rocks decided to move in with the Fayoumi's in the teenager coop, them the Fayoumi's decided to move into the older bird's digs along with the faux Cornish Rocks.
Then I started noticing the other birds started playing musical coops. Every evening when it's time to lock up the coops, we count the birds, first we noticed one of the older birds had switch coops, them more of them started doing it. Now I have no idea who's going to be where. Not only do they switch coops, but also positions on the perches in the coops.
The birds aren't squabbling, no one is getting picked on they seem to get along well.
Is this normal? Will they settle down and start staying in the same coop every night, or is this musical coop dance going to continue?
Not sure if it matters, but there are four roosters; two Jersey Giants and two Fayoumi (talk about opposite ends of the spectrum size wise).
I'm trying to get a handle on what our chickens are up to, they keep playing musical coops.
We currently have 40 chickens in two coops;
Coop number one was built last year and housed 14 birds; Rhode Island Reds, Australorps and Ameraucana's.
We built coop number two early this Spring to house 16 new birds we had in the brooder; Black Jersey Giants, Rhode Island Reds, Ameraucana's.
Both coops are located inside an enclosure (chicken pen), which is opened each day. The chickens are given about 1.25 acres to roam over.
Second batch of chickens moved into their coop without problem. All the birds get along fine, they basically keep themselves segregated into two flocks, with the exception of the two Black Jersey Giant roosters that ride herd over both groups of gals.
The day after the second batch moved into their new digs, I happened upon some day old Egyptian Fayoumi's which I couldn't resist, so I got purchased six, and not wanting them to be lonely in the brooder I also bought 4 Cornish Rocks (which turned out not to be Cornish Rocks, and I have no idea what they are).
When it came time to incorporate them into the two coops, I decided put the four faux Cornish Rocks into the coop with the 14 older birds and put the six Fayoumi's in with the teenagers we got earlier this year. After having read that Fayoumi's are flighty and once released they may go totally feral (and not come back) we kept the chicken enclosure locked for a few days in hopes of ensuring the Fayoumi's would bond with their new coop (and the other birds).
Anyway....suppose I can get down to the topic now (after posting my wall-of-words).
The third batch of birds has been out for a couple of weeks now. They did not like being separated, first the faux Cornish Rocks decided to move in with the Fayoumi's in the teenager coop, them the Fayoumi's decided to move into the older bird's digs along with the faux Cornish Rocks.
Then I started noticing the other birds started playing musical coops. Every evening when it's time to lock up the coops, we count the birds, first we noticed one of the older birds had switch coops, them more of them started doing it. Now I have no idea who's going to be where. Not only do they switch coops, but also positions on the perches in the coops.
The birds aren't squabbling, no one is getting picked on they seem to get along well.
Is this normal? Will they settle down and start staying in the same coop every night, or is this musical coop dance going to continue?
Not sure if it matters, but there are four roosters; two Jersey Giants and two Fayoumi (talk about opposite ends of the spectrum size wise).
