Inbetween Coop, what to use after Brooder??

[montana girl]

I let me chicks outside when I am able to be out there and watch them. I do know that when they come out into the back yard, and they stray too close to the big girls run, the big girls will peck them on the head and they will squeak and run away.

I let me golden laced bantam hen out into the yard with them, and the chicks would charge over to her, flapping their wings.. and she would chase them off. They run back inside their coop and she continues scratching and pecking the ground. I don't trust the other girls at all though.

 

[Ryu]

We section off part of the hens coop with chickenwire and boards. We hang a couple heatlamps so they can warm up if they want. When they get big enough we take the boards and wire down, and they get to mingle.

 

[bragabit]

Quote:
So do all of them have a common area or share a run?

 

[montana girl]

So do all of them have a common area or share a run?

They do not share a run. When I let the little girls out, I just open the door and let them range into the backyard under my supervision. They do pop in and out of the big girls run though, and if the big girls get fed up they will chase the little ones, but the little ones always pop back out the fencing into safety.

What I have noticed from having this set up for the past ... I guess its been 6 days now... is that the big girls do not even really pay attention to the little ones, and the little ones have learned their boundries.

Last year I waited until my girls were older before bringing them out of the house, and before introducing them to the older girls and had much more problems with acceptance. I am happy with the way this is working so far.​

 

[bragabit]

Quote:
They do not share a run. When I let the little girls out, I just open the door and let them range into the backyard under my supervision. They do pop in and out of the big girls run though, and if the big girls get fed up they will chase the little ones, but the little ones always pop back out the fencing into safety.

What I have noticed from having this set up for the past ... I guess its been 6 days now... is that the big girls do not even really pay attention to the little ones, and the little ones have learned their boundries.

Last year I waited until my girls were older before bringing them out of the house, and before introducing them to the older girls and had much more problems with acceptance. I am happy with the way this is working so far.

How old were your chicks when you put them out?

 

[azelgin]

When ours get to about 6 weeks, we section off part of the coop and run for them. I made up some removeable panels, that I can put in where needed, for any size, depending on who's going in there (there are also two broody hens in there right now). The partitions are just 1" chicken wire. I lower the roost and hang a heat lamp on a thermostat. I haven't had any problems with pecking through the wire. The peeps keep their distance from the chickens on the other side of the wire. By the time the peeps are 8 weeks, the big girls could care less and I open up the little coop to the main area when the big chickens are out free ranging. The peeps gradually work their way outside with everybody else. I am still keeping them seperated at bedtime. The peeps return to their end of the coop and I evict any big chickens until morning. I built the coop with three doors to the run, so it makes it pretty easy to sub-divide. Someday, I'll finish this thing.

 

[wings]

Okay, you guys all have these beautiful big coops. What if your coop is itty bitty???

 

[azelgin]

Quote:
You would still be OK to give them a little "coop within a coop" set up. I was surprised my chickens weren't more interested in the peeps and didn't try to get at them. Even when I opened the divider, nobody really cared about the peeps. The 1" chicken wire was more than enough to keep the peeps safe. It was nice for the peeps to have their own run, but they could have done without it.

 

[wings]

Quote:
You would still be OK to give them a little "coop within a coop" set up. I was surprised my chickens weren't more interested in the peeps and didn't try to get at them. Even when I opened the divider, nobody really cared about the peeps. The 1" chicken wire was more than enough to keep the peeps safe. It was nice for the peeps to have their own run, but they could have done without it.

I mean, not enough space for a separate coop within a coop! My coop is too small for two feeders, two roosts, two waterers, etc.

 

[JessaLynn]

I kinda have the same problem to.I have 4- 2wk olds and 5-1wk olds in a brooder now but have 30- day olds arriving tomorrow and the in between coop will be occupied by the older ones and not sure where I'm going to put the older ones since there getting cramped in there brooder now.
I don't have electricity in our coop so can't put them out there.
How large an area would I need for the older 9 chicks? I don't usually have this dilemma because they are always the same age when I order chicks but I was impatient and picked some up at the feed store.Ya'll know how that is.

Any suggestions?