having issues with the new coop i just finished..

[kaileen20]

I'm done with the coop I built for my 10 girls, I love it! I know the girls do too! I just painted it a barn red and put shingles on the roof, the issues I'm having now is as you can see there are two levels but they are separate.. so all 10 of my girls are going on the top level to sleep at night, at first they will start to peck really bad at each other because they definitely don't have a lot of room, after things settle down they are okay, I mean they aren't slammed packed in there but they definitely need more space...some will roost on the bars (there are two of them) and the others will lay on the floor of it (I put hay on the floor) for months now they have formed two separate clicks the older girls and the younger ones, so I thought for sure my younger girls would go and sleep on the bottom level but now they want to all cram into the top level of the coop, I even made a hole inside with a ladder going down into the bottom level inside.. figured they would spread out.. so what should I do? Just wait and see what happened? Or should I put my young girls back into their old coop, which by the way I just joined my chicks to my older girls a few days a ago and its going great! But should I put them back into their old coop because of lack of space? :/ not sure what I should do here.. there are only two nesting boxes on the top level and my oldest girl who's the top hen, gets really possessive about one of her nesting boxes on the top level.. I figured I would have this issue with this two level coop because chickens like to all roost together but It was my kids old playset that I turned into their coop.. anyways, any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Lilyput]

Sorry, but I would break down a wall of the "top coop", take the "bottom coop" and attach it to the top coop and put the new expanded coop up on stilts. Chickens will always seek the top rung. How big is the present top coop?. I have a 4 x 4 coop which handles my five girls nicely (with 2 nesting boxes hanging off the side). Your coop looks awfully small for ten chickens (maybe picture is distorted). Good luck.

 

[kaileen20]

Yea I was thinking about just that, I think I will get my husband to help me and just cut it in half and put them together, the top is actually 4x4 and the bottom is 4x5 and a half

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would like to make a few suggestions if I may be so bold.

1. YUP they will always go for the highest spot they can get to.
2. You have a lot of woods just over the fence. You need better predator protection than short chicken wire and no lid on the run area.
3. If they pick now just wait til they are all over a year old. They can be down right brutal if they are needing more room. I am thinking you could add on to the top level like lilyput suggested to ease the issue.

You do not state where you are at which would help folks come up with ideas for your set up.

Have you thought about or looked at hoop coops. They look easy enough to make.

 

[Lilyput]

Yea I was thinking about just that, I think I will get my husband to help me and just cut it in half and put them together, the top is actually 4x4 and the bottom is 4x5 and a half

Great; I know this will work out fine for you and all the chickens will be happy. Don't forget, lots of ventilation! Have fun.

 

[kaileen20]

thanks for the great advice! About my fence, I've lived here in north Carolina in this house for 7 years and all this time had chickens and I've never ever had an issue with predators, the fence might not look big but it's a 13 ft fence so I don't think anything's coming over that, plus my girls free range our back yard, I just put the wire up while I was building because my girls get curious and think I'm going to give them treats so I didn't was them getting hurt while I was building. That small coop in the back in the picture is my chicks coop, I have 5 adults and 5 12 week old red sex links and I put them with the older girls the other day and they have no interest in bonding with them so I just took the chicken wire and separated them and put them back into their old coop, I talked to my husband and he doesn't want to mutilate my hard work and neither do I! Lol ill just use the bottom part for storing their food and supplies that's sounds a lot better to me, I was stressing out! I want them and me to be happy with their home... I spoil them way too much! Y'all know what I'm talking about! Thank you all for the help and advice!! I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

 

[cafarmgirl]

I hope that your birds stay safe, especially at night. Your wood fence is easily scaled by raccoons and other predators, I have seen fox and coyotes go over such fences with ease. The combination of food and chickens will not go unnoticed forever.

 

[kaileen20]

You are definitely right, I will put a a top on their run, those woods are actually hunting grounds so I think large predators stay away from the area, but I know in need to be better safe than sorry about my girls! Thank you all for your advice!

 

[lyford]

Just b/c people hunt the land behind you doesn't mean the area is without predators. I hunt deer, squirrel, and turkey behind my home and am successful. Despite my activity in the woods I have pictures of foxes and coyotes on my trail camera, 40 yds from my back door and within ft of my coop. The predators dont leave b/c of human activity they just alter their patterns, like hunting at night if people are active in the area during the day. I'm not trying to be a know it all I'd just hate for you to lose one of your girls if you can prevent it.

 

[Lilyput]

thanks for the great advice! About my fence, I've lived here in north Carolina in this house for 7 years and all this time had chickens and I've never ever had an issue with predators, the fence might not look big but it's a 13 ft fence so I don't think anything's coming over that, plus my girls free range our back yard, I just put the wire up while I was building because my girls get curious and think I'm going to give them treats so I didn't was them getting hurt while I was building. That small coop in the back in the picture is my chicks coop, I have 5 adults and 5 12 week old red sex links and I put them with the older girls the other day and they have no interest in bonding with them so I just took the chicken wire and separated them and put them back into their old coop, I talked to my husband and he doesn't want to mutilate my hard work and neither do I! Lol ill just use the bottom part for storing their food and supplies

that's sounds a lot better to me, I was stressing out! I want them and me to be happy with their home... I spoil them way too much! Y'all know what I'm talking about! Thank you all for the help and advice!! I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

If you put the old coop (in the background) up on stilts all the chickens might like that better and then you can mix the young and old; it might surprise you how they eventually separate out. Then you have your beautiful double decker new coop and your second coop off the ground; everyone would be very happy. Add your location to your icon; it helps people to know what weather zone you are in. Again, have a wonderful time!