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Well, this is what I came up with. It's working quite well. I am using the one opening in the coop for access for both the older chickens into/out of the run and for the young chicks. I've built a separate area in the coop for the young chicks, with a hinged door which opens towards the opening. And I have a fenced off area in the run for the chicks, right next to the coop. The fence is movable. I can put it on a latch on one side of the opening or on the other side, thereby changing the coop/run access, depending whose turn it is to go in or out. Once the chicks are out, I leave the access open to the older chickens, so the hens can go inside to lay eggs, and they can get to their feed and water. The younger chicks have their feed and water outside during the day. They go out later in the morning or in the day, depending on the weather. And there is a small hen house in their outside fenced off space, in case I'm not home and they need to go indoors to escape rain.
It's working well, except for the day I let out the older chickens and left the chicks inside, for the morning, or so I thought. I had forgotten to put the latch on their little door, and by midmorning, they had figured that out and they all went outside, and thus joined the older chickens. They spent the day in the run with them and everything went fine. All the plans of mice and men.... But anyway, I'm still trying to keep them separate, as I'm not sure how it will go if they're in the coop together at this stage, and so they can all eat their appropriate feed.
Here are pictures of what I've designed. I'm a nurse and have no experience in building, but am learning....
[IMG]https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/44517_june_2011_new_chickens_025.jpg
