Is 2 coops in 1 run a bad idea?

Instead of having one huge coop...for 35 chickens and then a large run. what about 2 smaller coops (including nesting boxes in each) with acess to the same large run? what do yall think about this?
i have 2 coops in one run plus we built a run between the 2 coops so in bad weather they have more room
 
Instead of having one huge coop...for 35 chickens and then a large run. what about 2 smaller coops (including nesting boxes in each) with acess to the same large run? what do yall think about this?
I think it's a fine idea. You simply won't be able to control which chickens roost in which coops. But who cares? Let them figure it out themselves. Maybe they would enjoy the luxury of having a choice. It might be more maintenance... maybe.
 
For those doing this did you have to establish who went where first? This would be a good option for us as well but I can see it being a bit like our two roosts where everybody still wants to sit on the same one.
 
For those doing this did you have to establish who went where first? This would be a good option for us as well but I can see it being a bit like our two roosts where everybody still wants to sit on the same one.
I started another thread covering this same topic with 2 coops with one run a few day ago. I don't know how to link that thread here. In my situation, I have 8 girls, 6 months old, in a temporary coop/run. I also have 6-9 week old chicks and 4-9 week old guineas in a portable secured run (they outgrew their brooder before I could get my coop(s) situated.) The new coop needs to be painted and should be completed in the next 2 weeks. It was suggested that I put the younger brood in the new coop (home court advantage situation) and add the temporary coop (needs to be upgraded/repaired/painted) to the other end as was my intention anyway and put up a temporary wire separator in the communal run between them until they get used to each other and the younger ones get a little older. It was also mentioned that I should be very careful during integration of the 2 groups due to the smaller bantams and Silkies involved on both sides. Yesterday, I let the younger ones free range while the older girls were in their temporary coop/run and the older girls 'paced' their area for 2 hours watching the babies run around. When the older girls are free ranging, they don't pay much attention to the younger chicks but when they do, they try to 'go after' them through the hardware cloth. Yes, they can see each other between the temporary housing for both flocks. I do not have any roosters, to my knowledge, so I don't know if that would make a difference or not. It was also mentioned that the temporary coop, when it became permanent, would probably still be home to the older girls. I would actually like to have the older girls go to the newer coop first, and then add the 2nd coop for the new brood. My new coop is 4 X 8 and the run is 6 X 12. The 2nd coop will also be 4 X 8 when revamped. I also have a slim but tall coop, that I was thinking about setting up just for the guineas but yesterday, they followed the other chicks around as if they were chickens as well and went back in their enclosure along with the others with no problems. I wanted the guineas for pest control and a warning system for the chickens (and me) of predators. That is how I ended up with more chicks so that they would grow up together and become part of the flock. The jury is still out with how to house them safely and it depends on how they integrate with the older flock also. My birds are for egg production and pets. We aren't raising them for meat.
 
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For those doing this did you have to establish who went where first? This would be a good option for us as well but I can see it being a bit like our two roosts where everybody still wants to sit on the same one.
when we opened our new coop we had 6 we had in a holding cage, we put them in new coop then we went over to the camper coop took all rir and put them in new coop did this for 3 days, we now have 18 chickens sleeping in new coop, but we are waiting for them to use the nests, so far we have 3 eggs every day in there, the camper coop has some times 16. the most eggs so far is 22 but we do have 42 hens and one roos. oh my hubbie just said one of the hens may not be a hen, he saw it on top of other hen, lol when we got them most were pellets.
 
There was concern with enough room for them all as far as sq ft per bird. Both of my coops will be off the ground so that will add the 64 sq ft. to the overall run area. This equates to just under 4 sq ft per bird. They will also free range quite a bit her on our little acre so I don't think there will be an overcrowding issue.
wish we could free range, we have the mean man next to us, if he sees the chickens close to line he would shot them, eat them or god knows what, he is a nut, if our whole yard was fenced in it would be great but we have 3 acres,
 
For those doing this did you have to establish who went where first? This would be a good option for us as well but I can see it being a bit like our two roosts where everybody still wants to sit on the same one.

I had the benefit of getting ducks first, and chickens later. So I started the ducks in one coop that opened onto the run, and then built the 2nd coop, so by the time the second coop was in use, the ducks were used to coop #1. So I never have chickens in the duck coop or ducks in the chicken coop. I also only put roosts in the chicken coop, so they won't want to try and make the duck coop their home.
 

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