Evening Coop Drama with 11 hens

[PopoMyers]

I thought I solved my space problem with having two coops in my run but chix are funny. Just like with multiple nesting boxes to choose from, only that one will do and the queue up to use the special nesting box. Even though there should be tons of space with my two coops they insist on all cramming into the one they’ve chosen. The only saving grace is that I have a few who love roosting on top of the coop and that gives everyone else some breathing room. My second coop is now reserved for isolating one that’s ill or injured or for when I need a brooder coop. They’ve got their own ways of deciding, that’s for sure!

Seems we have cousins! Of my 16, the 2 cockerels and 8 more sleep in the original coop, 4 roost on the top of the run roof, under the space covered by a permanent roof, and 2 at the bottom of the pecking order sleep in the secondary, use-to-be temp brooding, separation coop. All the egg are usually laid in the temp coop, after I integrated 2 groups, where I had repurposed a cat litter box filled with shavings. 5 more nest boxes mostly sit unused in the main coop.

 

[Pghelp]

Seems we have cousins! Of my 16, the 2 cockerels and 8 more sleep in the original coop, 4 roost on the top of the run roof, under the space covered by a permanent roof, and 2 at the bottom of the pecking order sleep in the secondary, use-to-be temp brooding, separation coop. All the egg are usually laid in the temp coop, after I integrated 2 groups, where I had repurposed a cat litter box filled with shavings. 5 more nest boxes mostly sit unused in the main coop.

They’ve tried to explain it to me but I guess I just don’t get it!

 

[Jenni Hen]

Yup, most nights there's now one Eglu with 8 chickens in it, and 3 empty coops! 6 bantams + 2 Shetlands so not quite as bad as it sounds - and they squash up to leave half the coop empty!

 

[Jenni Hen]

They are probably cramped in there. Each chicken should have a minimum of 4sq ft of coop space, in yours you can really only fit 4 in there.

Yup, they're like sardines! It's how they want to be! I would only put 4 in which is why I bought 2 Eglus. But they have resisted all attempts to make them behave legally And they don't allow the two newcomers (omegas) to join the crush until the others are settled.
To clarify, there is an empty coop either side, plus another Eglu within reach in the run extension; decent accommodation for about 16 bantams. If I put a bird in their pre-Eglu coop, she gets grumpy and rushes back to join the flock. Just occasionally after a tiff will one decamp to the old favourite.

I have tried to improve the ventilation but can't find how to. In the old wooden coops I kept a stick under the lid and moved it towards the hinge to let more air through, but the Eglu seems to lack any control over ventilation. Am I missing something? It bothers me because they're in there for a lot of hours now and in summer it will be too stuffy.