Coop integration

[Bayoucrazy]

I have 3 (3yr old) ladies and 5 (13 week old) young ladies. I have a fairly large run and have sectioned off an area for the younger ones since they were about 8 weeks old. It includes its own coop with roosts. It doesn’t have nesting boxes though. All of the ladies have been able to see each other for weeks and just the past week I have been keeping the door open and allowing them all to mingle. The problem is at night my young ones still roost in the small coop and do not go in the coop with the older ladies. Is there a way to make them all roost together or will I have to keep two separate roosts? Also will I need to make nesting boxes in the smaller coop or will the ladies know to go inside the older ladies coop for laying when it’s time?

 

[Saveria]

So I had some thoughts.

Chickens will build habits around sleeping, so they will continue to do what they have done until something intervenes. I think it is personal choice whether you decide to let them sleep in the intro coop, or you can spend energy moving them into the main coop at night, hoping that they get it. Often folks will just close birds into a coop for a week that they want their chickens to recognize as their new home, but this isn't ideal here because of the other birds, so moving them over each night is the only option I can see, other hoping they eventually decide to do it themselves.

That coop also looks small for 8 birds, so they may rather have their own coop due to that.

When it comes time to lay eggs they will be looking for a spot. If they can access the other nesting boxes there is a chance they will lay there because the other girls are. I think it depends on some factors, mostly around how the interactions between the two groups go.

You may just want to put a nesting box in a corner of the intro coop, just in case one wants to lay really early in the AM. It could even just be a milk crate with some hay, just something so they don't just do it on the floor.

 

[Mrs. K]

I too think your main coop is too small for 8 birds. I also think the young birds will follow the old birds where to lay - BUT... sometimes laying is weird.

Mrs K

 

[Bayoucrazy]

I’ve done calculations and the main coop can hold up to 12 birds. It also has 3 nesting boxes. I guess I will just add a nesting box inside the intro coop and leave it open for the girls to decide. It is all inside the run so safe whichever they decide. I won’t have to really worry about it until I decide to get more little ones in a few years.

 

[Saveria]

What calculations are you using? The numbers out there vary widely. I am basing it on how much space they need to not bully each other because of it.

 

[Bayoucrazy]

What calculations are you using? The numbers out there vary widely. I am basing it on how much space they need to not bully each other because of it.

The ladder has 4 rungs and each is 30” wide. It goes up nearly 7 feet. The coop floor is 4’x5’ in addition to the nesting boxes. There are 5 windows at various heights all with hardware cloth.

 

[Saveria]

The ladder has 4 rungs and each is 30” wide. It goes up nearly 7 feet. The coop floor is 4’x5’ in addition to the nesting boxes. There are 5 windows at various heights all with hardware cloth.

You are totally right that they will physically fit, but I am talking more about what space they need to be happy and healthy. If they have access to the run whenever they are awake and walking around you can add that space to your total area, but the lowest estimate I have seen is 4 sq ft per bird.

I actually like this article better though, because it takes a more nuanced approach than a finite number.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/

 

[Ridgerunner]

The problem is at night my young ones still roost in the small coop and do not go in the coop with the older ladies. Is there a way to make them all roost together or will I have to keep two separate roosts?

I'd be extremely happy with that. Until my pullets reach a certain maturity level they generally will not be allowed to sleep on the main roosts with the adults. I don't care where they sleep as long as they are safe from predators and are not sleeping in the nests. My goal for integration is that no one gets hurt. Nothing more complicated than that. All that one happy big flock stuff will happen when they mature enough, typically for mine about when they start to lay.

Also will I need to make nesting boxes in the smaller coop or will the ladies know to go inside the older ladies coop for laying when it’s time?

As Mrs. K said, mine tend to lay where the adults are laying but you don't get guarantees. About anything can happen.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would add a nest box to the coop the younger ones are using and call it a day. If your "adult" coop was bigger I'd advocate moving the younger ones in (which is simple as removing access to the coop they're using), but the adult coop is tight, and integration favors space.

 

[Lillith37]

In my experience, when one of my hens has hatched chicks and then they grow up, they form their own little flock. They coexist peacefully with my adult hens and they all roost in the same shed but on different roosts. You might find something similar with your pullets. They will keep to their own space unless you force them to go in with the older hens. I second just adding nesting box/boxes to their space for path of least resistance.