Hmm...three chicken coops instead of just one??.

[chickylou]

Just dreaming and I do tend toward the visionary side...

We have a pool that busted a year ago. It is about 24 ft by 24 ft. It is contained within a deck. Basically, we look out our living room window and there is a gapping hole in the deck which I've decided to use as a new pen for chickens...15 of them to be exact. Just ordered today (5 Buff Orps, 5 Golden Comets, 5 Barred Rocks). All six of my kids will help with the project and the chores.

If we made a chicken village (3 small coops) instead of one large one, would that work? I'm not assuming chickens are super smart nor am I going to assume them to be completely feather-headed (pun intended), but would this work? Would they all try to cram into one? Could you teach them to go into different ones?

My kids LOVE this idea and I thought about it because of the cute picture at BYC with all the little houses.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in Advance

 

[HorseFeathers]

Knowing the social nature of chickens they probably would all cram into one.
Just like you can have 5 different nest boxes and they'll climb on top of each other to lay in just one...

 

[Marlinchaser]

If you raise them in seperate coops, they may continue to all go back to the original coops. I have 3 coops, and all of mine freerange, and all return to thier own coops. Are you trying to keep breeds seperate for breeding purposes, they will need to have thier own runs also, or they will still crossbreed any chance they get.

 

[Omran]

Quote:
Hello, and Wlcome to BYC look at my page below, the coop you will se was an old deck around swiming pool i had to dissasimble it last year forone of my customers who was in the same situation like you the pool went bad and he decided o get red f th whole thing.
I think 3 coops will work too, but one large one is better then the chicken will grow up togetherand you have less oecking order between themif you decide to free range the flocks together.

Omran

 

[silkiechicken]

Two+ coops can work. I have many tractors and raise a different bunch in each one. They free range and at night, they go to the one they were "trained" to go into. Read: put inside of an locked up for the night.

Sometimes they do group up and switch coops, and I've usually kept only one roo per coop and the top one gets the largest ones with the most girls. LOL

 

[patandchickens]

one thing to bear in mind is that 3 coops means more cleaning, 3x as many feeders and waterers to fill (unless you keep them out in the run, but there are a bunch of tradeoff problems with doing that, too). Also if you live in an area with freezy winters then it will be 3x the winter water woes (buying heated waterers and running safe electricity; or replacing frozen water dishes several times a day) and the chickens won't be able to bunch together for warmth as much as if they were in a single coop.

Also one coop is cheaper to build than three one-third size ones

Not trying to talk you out of it at all, just pointing out things to consider.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[crazyhen]

Have it look like three on the front but really one. The roof lines can be different and the color is done right. jean

 

[Fay at Frizzled Feathers]

yup grouping them in smaller coops work , or does for us. We just pened then in the coop for couple days then let out and the return to their own coops each evening for lock up .