Coop integration

[Bayoucrazy]

Wow this was all very informative! Thank you very much. For now I’m just gonna let things be. During the day they are all in the run together and the littles get pecked every now and then but for the most part they are doing well. I do see them returning to their area when one of the older ones is being mean (especially if I give treats) I think have 5 littles may help them integrate cause they will have more numbers lol. I plan to add a nesting box in the smaller coop just in case they don’t go where the older ladies lay. Dumpling ( my biggest bully) won’t even go in the nesting box if her sisters are in there. She will stand on porch and scream until they come out. Then she goes in and lays her egg and comes out to squawk again lol she is a mess! And there are 3 nesting boxes in there all with privacy walls but she will not go in unless it’s empty.

 

[Lor]

Last spring we had to add an addition to the hen house because we brought home 7 chicks. There's a long roost bar in the addition side.
The older hens roost where they always have, on the older side. The younger ones roost in the addition.

 

[Sueby]

I have 2 coops, the big girl coop & a smaller integration coop. I find that usually the littles sleep in their little coop but lay in the big coop where the big girls do.

Of course now 2 big girls decided they want to lay in the littles coop. Chickens are weird. But I don't really care as long as they are laying in nest boxes & sleeping on roosts!

 

[Bayoucrazy]

I agree. Both coops are secure from predators and so far all the ladies are roosting
I actually had to add a window in the door for one of my ladies to go back on roost. I agree they are weird. She wa upset when i rearranged the coop and her roost was no longer by a window. She boycotted by sleeping on the porch until I added a window. Lol