How many can I have?

[Teila]

Hey again Farmz246 [I just said hello on your introduction]

We are tropical and opted for a raised coop with a slatted, timber floor [removable for cleaning] to take advantage of any breezes available. Also, the area under the coop is additional shelter and shade; something you might want to consider.

I know in our climate, our girls spend more time in the run than the coop and just use it for laying and sleeping so we ensured that their run was large and entertaining for them.

I recommend this well written article also: How Much Room Do Chickens Need

Best wishes and good luck!

 

[jthornton]

One of the girls seems to sleep in one of the three nesting boxes, while the other one seems to sleep on the wood chips in the clean out tray. I've never seen either one use the roost by the windows.

As for nest boxes you only need one, I have 9 Rhode Island Red pullets and one nest box that is big enough for 3 at a time. while usually only one is in the nest box often there is 2 in there.



A photo of the inside would help, the roost should be at least 12" higher than the nest box.

JT

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

As for nest boxes you only need one, I have 9 Rhode Island Red pullets and one nest box that is big enough for 3 at a time. while usually only one is in the nest box often there is 2 in there.

View attachment 1252203 View attachment 1252204

A photo of the inside would help, the roost should be at least 12" higher than the nest box.

JT

I see you have made upgrades. What are the curtains made from?

 

[jthornton]

It's a material I found at Hobby Lobby, it does not unravel like cloth and is just as supple as cloth. I put black on the inside and red on the outside.



JT

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

It's a material I found at Hobby Lobby, it does not unravel like cloth and is just as supple as cloth. I put black on the inside and red on the outside.

View attachment 1252214

JT

Felt? Or fleece? Looks good and probably wasn't expensive, so you could replace when needed. I like to scour the scrap bins see what leftovers they have to make things with. Or just to hoard.

 

[Farmz246]

Hey again Farmz246 [I just said hello on your introduction]

We are tropical and opted for a raised coop with a slatted, timber floor [removable for cleaning] to take advantage of any breezes available. Also, the area under the coop is additional shelter and shade; something you might want to consider.

Sounds similar to mine, except mine maybe small.
the section on the left of the pic that is open has now been covered, so it's shaded. During the day, the doors on the front are open and they come and go as they please. They have water in the shaded bottom area. They get up around 6am, I open the doors, give them some feed and fruit, veg and crushed eggshells from the day before. They eat what they want, then go out roaming until around 8:30am then one goes back upstairs and lay an egg, come back down around 9, and the next one goes up, lays her egg and comes back down around 9:30am. They then spend most of the next 5 hours in the shaded area, scratching around and sitting around, drinking water. Then around 3pm they come out and roam around the 4000sqft fenced in area, scratching for grubs ect, until around 5:30pm when I give them a bit more feed and shut them in for the night.

 

[jthornton]

Felt? Or fleece? Looks good and probably wasn't expensive, so you could replace when needed. I like to scour the scrap bins see what leftovers they have to make things with. Or just to hoard.

Neither one, it's a very thin material not sure of the material name that's why I took a photo of the bolt.

JT

 

[peeper89]

mybe this help u
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/06/integrating-new-flock-members-playpen.html

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Neither one, it's a very thin material not sure of the material name that's why I took a photo of the bolt.

JT

Ah. Ok. I just looked it up. It is actually called oly fun. I will look at it the next time I am at a craft store.

 

[Farmz246]

So if I build another coop for the new chickens, are the two current chickens likely to continue using the current coop to sleep and lay, or are they likely to try and move in with the new chickens once they establish a pecking order?