Chickens Prefer Only One Coop

[HorseGirlAbby]

If anything, the smaller coop has less airflow/ventilation. In fact, I'm thinking about putting more holes in. The larger coop has a monitor-style roof, so the ventilation is open along the entire length of the roof.

Anyway, I was successful in moving a few of the chickens that were looking for a box in the smaller coop into the larger one and shut them in. As you suggested, they were not happy. I moved one of the 3-gallon waterers into the coop and turned a sprinkler on it to keep it and them cool. I also removed the boxes from the smaller coop.

I'm waiting now to see what happens!

Oh, my bad, I thought the one with the monitor was the small one! I just didn't see them side by side. On another note, are the roosts in the bigger coop right on top of the nest boxes? If so, you may want to cover the nests, as they will poop straight into them.

 

[Bruthabuz]

The roosts (rafters) are over the outside (front) of the nests. I depends on which way the hens are facing. If they are facing the middle of the coop, they could be pooping into the nests. If the facing the outside, they would poop in front of the boxes. I've seen them roosting both ways. Just to be safe, I have some plywood I'll put over the top of the nests. I read somewhere that it helps to have the nests covered anyway. Something about making the girls feel safer, more privacy, etc.. Then I imagine I will have some of them roosting (and pooping) on top of the plywood as well!

Something else I'm going to consider. In the smaller coop, the sides of the nests are closed off. In the large coop, the sides of each nest are open. I'll put some plywood between each nest and on the ends and see if that makes them feel more comfortable.

Thanks again!

 

[Bruthabuz]

I think it's starting to work, but it wasn't a great start. There are ten nests in the large coop. I took ten of the previously laid eggs and put one in each nest. One of my White Leghorns laid an egg on the plywood shelf in the small coop where the nesting boxes were. But two of my Easter Eggers starting fighting each other to get into one box in the large coop. I had to keep shooing the second one (white with black and gray highlights) away many, many times, trying to put her in another nest, but she was having none of it. Then the first one (light brown with gray highlights) finished laying her egg. I took her out and the second one got in and laid an egg in that same nest. Other ones (Cinnamon Queens and Golden Comets) were milling around taking looks. So I'm hopeful. We'll see later this afternoon or tomorrow morning. I know as of now I have one egg in each nest. So if there are more tomorrow, I'll know its working! I tried the golf ball again, but they all just ignored it. Maybe they know it's not a real egg? While sitting in the box, both Easter Eggers were constantly trying to push the real egg underneath them.

 

[McChooky]

I guess it's not really a problem unless the chickens have to wait in line to use two or three or four nesting boxes when there are 20-25 available. We have 36 chickens, all just under 5 months old. I was just curious. If they do not want to lay eggs in the other coop, I may as well take the nesting boxes out if they're not going to use them. If it's their habit to all use the same bost box than usexes, so be it, I'll let them. I guess I don't think like a chicken! Thanks

I've had 3 crawl in the same nest box at the same time in 90 degree weather .They wouldn't dream of use one beside it.

 

[Bruthabuz]

This morning I found 4 eggs on the plywood shelf where the nests used to be in the small coop and none in the large coop. I finally had no other choice but to completely block off the small coop. There were too many chickens trying to get into it. I'd throw them out and they'd just keep coming back with reinforcements! Even after I boarded it up, they were still trying to find a way to get back in. This afternoon I found five eggs in the large coop. Of course, they were all in the same nest! But at least they're in the large coop. I'll just have to keep a watchful eye to make sure they don't make a nest of their own somewhere else!

 

[Bruthabuz]

Lesson learned: don't bother trying to make a chicken do what you want it to if it doesn't want to do it! After five days of having their "favorite" laying coop boarded off in an effort to encourage them to lay in the bigger, cooler, more comfortable coop, they refused to do it! Not one egg in it. To make things worse, they started laying in a much, much smaller, run-down coop that is practically falling apart! I'm feeling their love! 8-10 eggs a day in a little 1-foot by 2-foot overhang of a 2-foot by 4-foot coop with no ventilation other than the opening leading into it. So I went ahead and unboarded the favorite coop, reinstalled the nests, and now they are happy! Then a day after opening their favorite coop, I found two eggs in the larger coop that I had been trying to get them to lay in! Go figure! So now things are pretty much back to normal with them fighting over one or two nests and leaving the other sixteen empty. Getting good eggs is all I really care about anyway! How they do it is up to them! Lay on!