Girls first night in new coop! Pics added!

[tomato lady]

Today we moved our 31 chickens to their new coop.

The new coop is my old goat barn, newly remodeled. It is about 200 ft. from my other coop and it took a number of trips to carry each bird to their new home.

My 9 year old granddaughter helped me.

So, tonight I went up to put the girls to bed a little late. I was so excited to see them taking full advantage of their new roost system.

The hightst roost (4 1/2 ft. high x 7 ft. long) was full of chickens. Another 4 ft. roost that is almost as high was also full of chickens. There were a few chickens on the next lower roost and the bottom roost was not in use. I put that in as a stair to the upper roosts anyway.

I will try to find my camera so I can take pics tomorrow night. I worked hard putting up the nearly 24 ft. of roosts and it is nice to see the girls using them. Their old coop had only 8 ft. of roosts so the younger ones were reduced to using the lids on the 5 gallon feed buckets for roosting. Poor babies!

 

[Cetawin]

Oh congrats...yes do post pics it sounds wonderful!

 

[tomato lady]

Here are some pictures I took tonight of the chickens settling in for the night. So much commotion! I think they are still trying to establish their place.

Brahmas find their place on the highest roost early.

It's hard to find a good spot when you are not high in the pecking order.

It may seem crowded, but there are still 2 empty roosts lower down. No one wants them.

The nest boxes are on the other side of the wall. There is a litter pan on top of the nest boxes which they use as a step up to the roosts. The lower roosts also serve as steps up to the taller roosts. The top of the wall is 4 1/2 ft. high. That wall that appears to be outside the window is really just a reflection. That window looks out to the wooded portion of our property.

 

[Cetawin]

aaaawwwwww brahma butts! I miss my brahma girl. They are so beautiful and they look pleased as punch to be there.

 

[cmom]

I had to put up another 2x4 because all of my birds wanted to be on the top roosts now everyone can be up there.

 

[tomato lady]

Cmom, do your chickens still squabble over which spot they get on the roost? Mine are unbelievably loud when they are getting settled for the night. It would be easy for me to put up another high roost, but it would make it more difficult to clean.

 

[Cetawin]

Sheesh mine are approaching a year in their coop and they still scabble and raise a ruckus settling down at night. Wenches!

 

[tomato lady]

I went out to the coop last night to see what was going on. I think I know who is the alpha hen, my sweet little Omlet. I bought her as a Jersey Giant but I think she is actually a black sex link. She has lots of red in her, around her neck and on her chest. Anyway, she is a large chicken. Last night everyone was crowded on the top roosts except for Omlet. She had staked her claim to the "place of honor" on the top roos right next to the window. She had space enough for 2 chickens on each side of her. Whenever a chicken tried to get into that space they got royally pecked! I really wanted to grab her and put her on the floor for her bad behavior, then I decided she was just doing what chickens do best, establishing the pecking order.

 

[Maryallison]

your chickens look so happy up there on their roosts!