Flock layout

[GreenValleyHomeStead]

How big is that in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.


..or you could make a 'nursery' right in the big coop and integrate early.
A bit more work before hand, but much easier way to integrate new chicks.
Here's 3 set ups for
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

I can add pictures but unsure the dimensions. I have raised chickens in the coop for about 4 years, and haven’t had any issues. 3 nesting boxes, two roosting bars. They only go in there to sleep and to lay.

I would prefer a separate nursery. I don’t introduce the chicks until about 12 weeks, and they are usually outside by week 3/4 depending on the weather.

 

[aart]

I would prefer a separate nursery. I don’t introduce the chicks until about 12 weeks, and they are usually outside by week 3/4 depending on the weather.

You're missing out on learning a great new management technique.

 

[GreenValleyHomeStead]

You're missing out on learning a great new management technique.

Last year we had the runs separated, so during the day we would take the chicks outside, put them in one side, and the other chickens would notice them when they lay eggs. We would bring them inside at night.

By the time the 12 weeks went by, and introduced them, they were still doing the pecking order and took awhile for them to all get along.

We have since opened both sides to the run, so that they can go to one side if they want shade or the other side if they want some sun.

I just want to have a separate secure nursery coop this time, and see what happens, and middle/late May it is nice outside and the chicks don’t really even need any additional heat, so they could be outside 24/7.

the chick brooder serves its purpose, but they really are not truly happy until they can be outside, of course safely.


I would prefer to do the Chickshaw, but the building costs might be just as high as buying a prefab. I would prefer to keep my chickens moving, instead of in one location.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I took these dimensions from the specs. This means the coop section is about 45" x 68". About 20 square feet. I could not find a photo that gave a good shot of the inside layout but the roosts at least are higher than the nests. There are three roosting bars, each probably 45" long. The nests are internal to the coop area. open nests with a roost section running over the. They can poop in the nests from the roost.

Product Length

126.8 in.

Foraging or Run Area Length	81.1 in.
Foraging or Run Area Width	68.7 in.

Product Height

72.4 in.

You are in the cold midwest. That means you will have days this winter where they will not be able to go outside. That's when the size of the coop becomes the big issue. In the summer you can probably work around that. It looks like that run section would be pretty predator proof if you stop digging predators, maybe by adding an apron. So you could leave the pop door open so they have all the room in the run available when weather allows. I could not find the size of the wire openings, can baby chicks get through those?

It looks like the coop section is raised off of the ground just enough for mice, rats, or even a snake to make a permanent home under there.

That height is probably to the peak. I think it would be uncomfortable to stand or work in there.

I do not think this coop/run would be suitable for a permanent home to adult chickens the way I think you want to use it. It could work as a grow-out coop to help integrate the chicks. If you can run electricity to it you could even use it as a brooder. You might need to line the bottom of the fence with wire mesh or netting to keep the young chicks inside.

Can you train two different flocks to free range together and sleep in separate buildings at night? Maybe. Some people do that successfully. It's also possible they will al want to move into the same coop to sleep. When they free range they are free, they can do what they wish.

You said you wanted to put one specific rooster with certain hens. And let them all free range together. That may not work out quite as you plan. What is happening now with the two boys? Do they hang together during the day or have they split the current hens so each has their own harem and hang out in separate territories? Most of the time they choose separate territories but with living animals about anything can happen. I have seen two males hang together with one harem while a third had a separate harem and his own territory. They were all able to sleep in the same coop.

When you integrate the new girls and they reach a certain age I'd expect them to pick who they want to hang with during the day. They could split up, some to each boy. They may all stick together with one boy, or they may just form a separate flock and ignore the boys. Or come up with some other combination.

So what would I do in your situation? I'm not sure how those boys will be able to continue getting along so there is some indecision for me. I'd build a coop big enough for the entire flock in your midwest winters. You say you want to hatch chicks so include them in your entire flock numbers. I'd build it at the other end of one of your current runs so you can tie into it. Keep your current coop as a nursery to help with integration, maybe a place to isolate a chicken if you need to, maybe even try to train one of the roosters to sleep in it with his harem if the two boys can't share a coop at night. A separate coop/run can come in handy in so many different ways. It gives you a lot of flexibility when things happen.

I personally would not buy that prefab coop, I think you will be better off spending your money on a more permanent solution, a coop big enough for your needs.

Good luck!

 

[GreenValleyHomeStead]

I took these dimensions from the specs. This means the coop section is about 45" x 68". About 20 square feet. I could not find a photo that gave a good shot of the inside layout but the roosts at least are higher than the nests. There are three roosting bars, each probably 45" long. The nests are internal to the coop area. open nests with a roost section running over the. They can poop in the nests from the roost.

I wasn't set on this coop, but it is still an option. We can always tweak what we don't like.

You are in the cold midwest. That means you will have days this winter where they will not be able to go outside. That's when the size of the coop becomes the big issue. In the summer you can probably work around that.

The chickens still go into the run during the winter. I put some large tree branches, and after Christmas they get our tree, and perch all day. They love it, they really love the Christmas tree. The coop we have is off the ground and does provide them with additional coverage. The coop is also right on the edge of the woods, which really helps with wind. Our chickens were hardly in the coop during the winter. So that is not a concern.

It looks like that run section would be pretty predator proof if you stop digging predators, maybe by adding an apron. So you could leave the pop door open so they have all the room in the run available when weather allows. I could not find the size of the wire openings, can baby chicks get through those?

I am not worried about predators. We don't get many coming close to the house. We also keep lights around the area. We have never had anything get the chickens. Except for a combine during harvest season 3 years ago.

It looks like the coop section is raised off of the ground just enough for mice, rats, or even a snake to make a permanent home under there.

That height is probably to the peak. I think it would be uncomfortable to stand or work in there.

Mice will always be a problem, they can get into anything. We don't have a lot of predator snakes in the midwest, which that would eliminate the mice/rodent problem.

I do not think this coop/run would be suitable for a permanent home to adult chickens the way I think you want to use it. It could work as a grow-out coop to help integrate the chicks. If you can run electricity to it you could even use it as a brooder. You might need to line the bottom of the fence with wire mesh or netting to keep the young chicks inside.

Electricity isn't an option. So we will keep the chickens in the garage for the 3 weeks, under the heat lamp, depending on how May will be. Last year, May was really hot, so we hardly needed the heat lamp.

You said you wanted to put one specific rooster with certain hens. And let them all free range together. That may not work out quite as you plan. What is happening now with the two boys? Do they hang together during the day or have they split the current hens so each has their own harem and hang out in separate territories? Most of the time they choose separate territories but with living animals about anything can happen. I have seen two males hang together with one harem while a third had a separate harem and his own territory. They were all able to sleep in the same coop.

Current roosters and hens all free range together, and sleep in the same coop. Our chickens thrived all winter, they even continued to lay up to 5 eggs a day, which is not a lot, but they never stopped laying.

I personally would not buy that prefab coop, I think you will be better off spending your money on a more permanent solution, a coop big enough for your needs.

Good luck!

We are hesitant on the "permanent" solution. Ultimately that is what we want to move away from. Separate coops do come in handy, especially for the different transitions that we do.

If we do go on the building a coop, we would go with the Chickshaw, but tweak that a little more to our liking. That was our first option, and I still really love the chickshaw. So I guess that would be another thought what can I use that would be easy to move, for a larger flock.

I don’t want something extremely fancy, chickens poop on everything, just something that works.

The bigger the building, we would have to get permission to build, along with a permit.