coop add-on

[junkman56]

hello, I recently moved to a 10 acre farm ,and I brought my chicken coop from our old place to here. this pic is at the old house. which houses 7 red sex link hens. the coop is fully predator proof, I plan on keeping it covered and enclosed, just how it looks


now that I placed the coop here in its new location, I have added a run completely around this coop and run, the new run measures 48' x 21' and is covered with bird netting for protection. I have ordered 6 more hens and 1 rooster which will arrive around April 9th.

now I have to add on to the coop to accommodate 14 chickens. my plans are adding to each side of the existing coop, by about 3 ft. on each side, relocate the nesting boxes, and when I do add on one of the side I plan to fence it off in side the coop so the new chickens are in the same coop but the old chickens can not get to them. then I plan on putting a temporary pop door on the side so the new chickens can get out to the large run, which I will add a fenced area so they can see each other but stay away from each other.

at what age should I take the fencing down and let them live together?

I look forward to any suggestions pros or cons of what I plan on doing.

this will be the first time I ever added to my flock!

photos of how I am set-up now

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Is your order for chicks or started birds?

 

[junkman56]

my order is for day old chicks

2 Barred Plymouth Rock hens
2 Golden Laced Wyandotte hens
2 Buff Orpington hens
1 Buff Orpington rooster

 

[aart]

I plan to fence it off in side the coop so the new chickens are in the same coop but the old chickens can not get to them.

Add some 'tiny doors' in the separation fence...something like this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

Or lattice can make good barrier between chicks and adults,
chicks can get thru and adults cannot..

 

[lazy gardener]

You could add onto the front of the coop and turn it into a woods open air style coop.

 

[junkman56]

thank you for the replies

 

[junkman56]

I started adding on to my coop to accommodate the new chicks that will arrive around April 9th. I added 7 feet to the width, now the coop is 13 wide. 4 foot of the addition will house the new chicks which will have a fence between the older hens and the new ones for see buy no touch, until its time to put them together.
now my problem is.... I took out the old roost and installed a new roost in a different location, and it is higher now, 3 out of my 7 go in and go to roost, mean while the other 4 have to be placed back in the coop and set on the ramp and kind-a coaxed up the ramp.
any ideas on how I can get them all to go in and roost on their own again, I never had this problem before.
thank you

 

[aart]

Any changes can throw them off their game....give them time to acclimate.

How much higher is it?
Do they have ample space to jump/fly down?

Can't wait to see lots of pics of the remodel!

 

[junkman56]

I will take some pics today,
And post them, I made a poop board under the roost, height is only about 4 or 5 foot from the floor.

 

[aart]

height is only about 4 or 5 foot from the floor.

So do they have 4-5 feet of clear floor space to land?
I think that's the ratio I remember making sense.
My poop board is at about 3', roost is about 8" above that, they jump/fly off edge of board into a space about 4' wide, some use less, some use the ramp.