I started our coop with the knowledge thhat I was going to have to expand it at some point especially when our flock started to grow to adult size. The first level of the coop has the floor at waist level so the logical way to expand it was to build a 'lower level' and create a 'chicken condo' with the thought of splitting the flock up at night (they have a large covered run that they are in during the day) I would wind up with a flock of 17 chickens (expecting two Lavender Orpingtons in another week) and assign half the flock to the lower level of the condo and the other half to the upper.
Easier said than done.
We have three 'new girls' that we pinned up in the lower coop so they could be merged with the existing flock of 12 but the original flock is insisting on roosting in their old now crowded, upper level. They move freely through both coops during the daylight hours so I was able to accidentally on purpose trap two of the older members of the flock in the lower level one night but they were not happy hens. When I checked on them after dark the two established hens were sitting on one end of the roost and the three newgirls were on the opposite end. It was if the older hens (only maybe one month older than the newcomers) were saying "well you can make us sleep with them but we don't have to LIKE it!)
How do I get a few of them-like maybe two hens and a roo-to want to roost on the lower level.? I can understand their thinking. They have spent their life, once fledged in that upper coop so it's going to be a challenge to get them to relocate. Is there a low stress way to do it on both the chickens and myselft without doing a nightly snatch and stuff so they are not so crowded?
BTW, the residents of the upper level are very noisy neighbors in the evening, LOL Lots of stomping screaming and partying going on up there.
I need to post pics of our coop. It is 100% repurposed materials. THe total cost was under 20$ and that was strictly limited to hardware and nails. But I'm waiting to get it white washed and finished up cosmetically before I do.
Easier said than done.
We have three 'new girls' that we pinned up in the lower coop so they could be merged with the existing flock of 12 but the original flock is insisting on roosting in their old now crowded, upper level. They move freely through both coops during the daylight hours so I was able to accidentally on purpose trap two of the older members of the flock in the lower level one night but they were not happy hens. When I checked on them after dark the two established hens were sitting on one end of the roost and the three newgirls were on the opposite end. It was if the older hens (only maybe one month older than the newcomers) were saying "well you can make us sleep with them but we don't have to LIKE it!)
How do I get a few of them-like maybe two hens and a roo-to want to roost on the lower level.? I can understand their thinking. They have spent their life, once fledged in that upper coop so it's going to be a challenge to get them to relocate. Is there a low stress way to do it on both the chickens and myselft without doing a nightly snatch and stuff so they are not so crowded?
BTW, the residents of the upper level are very noisy neighbors in the evening, LOL Lots of stomping screaming and partying going on up there.
I need to post pics of our coop. It is 100% repurposed materials. THe total cost was under 20$ and that was strictly limited to hardware and nails. But I'm waiting to get it white washed and finished up cosmetically before I do.
