I need advise about what to do about my coop.

[JoCoKS]

I converted an old baby bed into a brooder/coop with chicken wire on the bars which worked out great as a home for my roosters. PROBLEM: I am trying to build a much larger coop but being permanently disabled I do not move fast and the heat came too soon and it is too much for me. Because the old coop is too small to add the roosters and it is occupied by my 5 hens there is no room the coop for my roosters so they have stayed in the baby bed. IF I give the roosters access to the chicken garden (my private part of my yard for only my chickens) from the baby bed will they go back to it at night to the baby bed or will they go to the hen's coop? It would be a disaster of they went to the hen's coop since it is too small for more bodies. I have two types of chickens and some of the hens in the hen house are the same type of chicken so I am worried the roosters would make room by kicking out the other type of hen and I doubt they will just go to the baby bed.
Please give me advise because I do not know what to do with my various coops until I get the new one built. I hatched the two roosters here at home on April 18th so they grew up together. I want a roosters now for the first time since a fox killed 4 of my hens and a hawk killed two. I saw the hawk eating my chickens. I have had chickens for about 60+ years and never lost one to a predator till now.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

I converted an old baby bed into a brooder/coop with chicken wire on the bars which worked out great as a home for my roosters. PROBLEM: I am trying to build a much larger coop but being permanently disabled I do not move fast and the heat came too soon and it is too much for me. Because the old coop is too small to add the roosters and it is occupied by my 5 hens there is no room the coop for my roosters so they have stayed in the baby bed. IF I give the roosters access to the chicken garden (my private part of my yard for only my chickens) from the baby bed will they go back to it at night to the baby bed or will they go to the hen's coop? It would be a disaster of they went to the hen's coop since it is too small for more bodies. I have two types of chickens and some of the hens in the hen house are the same type of chicken so I am worried the roosters would make room by kicking out the other type of hen and I doubt they will just go to the baby bed.
Please give me advise because I do not know what to do with my various coops until I get the new one built. I hatched the two roosters here at home on April 18th so they grew up together. I want a roosters now for the first time since a fox killed 4 of my hens and a hawk killed two. I saw the hawk eating my chickens. I have had chickens for about 60+ years and never lost one to a predator till now.

2 roosters are going to be to much for only 5 hens. The roosters are going to worry them to death mating with them and constantly running them. Also roosters are not going to be able to protect your hens from a fox unless he's eaten first, then the fox will come back for the hen. Also the rooster may alert the hens if he sees a hawk but will not be able to stop one if it dives down on one.
As far as the sleeping in the hen house, I'm pretty sure the roosters will not kick anyone out but they will defiantly try to squeeze in there with them. I probably was not much help in advise but other than building a new arrangement I don't see a solution other than keeping them separate like you are now, which is not what you intended.

 

[Mrs. K]

Juvenile roosters are no protection to a flock. They are only interested in sex, to the point that they are just not very aware of the rest of the world. However, once I get my roosters to a year old, I have had very good day time protection from predators. Needless to say though, I have lost roosters to predators. Predators make me swear.

So the boys are no good to you if they are locked up in the baby crib, and no good to you if you let them out. They will go after the girls, and may start fighting amongst themselves over the girls, and they will follow the hens to the coop.

I too, would not keep two roosters with 5 hens. I have a huge run, 20 ft x 30 and an adequate coop. In my opinion, roosters take more space than the 4 sq ft recommended here.

A possible solution, contact local people, county extension agent or feed store might know of a poultry club, or other chicken people. Cull the roosters you have by giving them away, and get a year old rooster might work for the short term. One more bird might squeeze in with the girls but not two roosters. Keep building.

Mrs K

 

[LaFleche]

Regarding your situation instead of building more coops to accommodate roosters you might want to consider enhancing your fences and covering the chicken run too.

Thus your hens will be secure from fox and hawk without risk of overcrowding your space or additional stress from hormonally overagitated young roosters.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

They will all probably be fine together, but you could do with some more hens. Don’t cull these ones, as that won’t help anything counting that there isn’t even a problem with them. Your hens coop definitely needs to be bigger though, if it cant fit another chicken it is not big enough for the five hens. Hens need 4/5 sq feet each and roosters need 5/6 sq ft each.

If the roosters have figured out the baby bed is their home then they will probably return there, but if they don’t you can always move them while they are asleep.

 

[JoCoKS]

2 roosters are going to be to much for only 5 hens. The roosters are going to worry them to death mating with them and constantly running them. Also roosters are not going to be able to protect your hens from a fox unless he's eaten first, then the fox will come back for the hen. Also the rooster may alert the hens if he sees a hawk but will not be able to stop one if it dives down on one.
As far as the sleeping in the hen house, I'm pretty sure the roosters will not kick anyone out but they will defiantly try to squeeze in there with them. I probably was not much help in advise but other than building a new arrangement I don't see a solution other than keeping them separate like you are now, which is not what you intended.

Thank you.