Ideas for space in the big coop for the little ones?

[happylittlehens]

I have 4 new RIR chicks. I’d like to build a removable area in the big coop for them when they’re ready to go out. This will be the first time I’ve integrated chicks with an adult flock. From what I’ve read, they should be in a see/hear but no touch area with the big girls for a couple weeks until they get used to them. I have a few weeks still before I move them out. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[SueT]

I put a wide poop shelf under one of the roosts, and closed in the space under it for this spring's chicks. It included that pop door, and so they got part of the run as well...here it is before putting up the mesh panels and a little roost for the chicks. When the chicks were integrated, I removed the panels and it looks like this again..

 

[kforsyth]

My husband build is basically a run along one wall of our coop. He made it in two pieces so we could remove it and store it until next needed. It has a door in the front so they can come and go when ready and two hatches on top for waters and feeders. Sorry I don't have pics. It's not up right now but it's great.

 

[happylittlehens]

I put a wide poop shelf under one of the roosts, and closed in the space under it for this spring's chicks. It included that pop door, and so they got part of the run as well...here it is before putting up the mesh panels and a little roost for the chicks. When the chicks were integrated, I removed the panels and it looks like this again..
View attachment 1486071

Thanks! I’m thinking about building something like that to go under the nesting boxes. That’s the only wall I have without the main doors or feeders.

 

[Spartan22]

I have 4 new RIR chicks. I’d like to build a removable area in the big coop for them when they’re ready to go out. This will be the first time I’ve integrated chicks with an adult flock. From what I’ve read, they should be in a see/hear but no touch area with the big girls for a couple weeks until they get used to them. I have a few weeks still before I move them out. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I’ve made a few of this under the the poop boards and under the nesting boxes for my broody hens and their chicks, works great, the temporary door is my acces for their water and I leave them ajar for small ones to get in and out. I removed all of these temp rooms after they are integrated which is 3-4th wks.

 

[happylittlehens]

I’ve made a few of this under the the poop boards and under the nesting boxes for my broody hens and their chicks, works great, the temporary door is my acces for their water and I leave them ajar for small ones to get in and out. I removed all of these temp rooms after they are integrated which is 3-4th wks.

View attachment 1486159

Thanks! This is pretty much what I was envisioning!

 

[PetesChicks]

I used a few panels from a pen I got when I adopted some rabbits last year. Walled off an area about 2 1/2’ by 9’ in the coop, partly on my side and the rest in the chicken side of the coop. About a week in, I started integrating with little doors the big girls couldn’t fit through, so the littles could hide when they needed to. About a week and a half from then, the littles were sleeping on the ramp to the roost and working their way a little higher each night. When they finally had the courage to get up on the roost with the big girls (my Black Australorp is the top hen, and didn’t like them) I took out their separate area and let them be. The BA is still letting them know who’s boss, but at 13 weeks old they are fully integrated and just keep an eye on her. When she gets too close, they just move away.

 

[bobbi-j]

A picture of your setup would be helpful.

 

[blackdog043]

I raised mine in a coop brooder, with the mamma heat pad. I used a dog X-pen with a dog crate attached. When I was ready to integrate at 4 weeks, I made panic doors so the chicks could get back to their safe place if needed.

 

[happylittlehens]

A picture of your setup would be helpful.

So this is the setup right now. The nesting boxes on the left (the hens have knocked the partitions out, so now it’s just a big one). Roosts on the right with the door to the run under the roosts.