With my DH's health, as well as my own, becoming more of a consideration in recent times, we will be changing up some of the flocks here. Hauling water and food for all those separate enclosures can get to be alot, depending on how DH's back is doing (he has degenerative disc disease and most discs are already gone).
As of now, I have four coops being used by four different groups. I removed Dutch from the main flock after he decided he needed to rush me from time to time and put him in the little Firetower coop with three BR girls. So, I have that group, the main layers, the BBS Orps and the Delawares. I will be rearranging so there are only three coops to maintain, then eventually, when my blue Orp rooster, Suede, passes on, that coop will be vacated and whatever girls he has will go into the main laying flock.
The Delawares with Isaac and five girls will go to the main coop, so Ike will have 24 girls instead of just 5. The Del eggs are pretty easy to distinguish most of the time so no issues there if I wanted pure Dels. There is one Del pullet who is running with the layers right now, so in that group, there will be Ike, six Del girls plus all the rest of the mixed laying flock except for Shadow, my only banty. I've moved my huge RIR/Buff Orp hen, Meg, back in with Suede since we lost Skye last week and he was left with just two hens.
Dutch will move into the Delaware coop with all five BR hens, four BBS Ameraucanas and Shadow. Dutch never pays attention to Shadow so she will be safe with them. In that coop, then, I can collect eggs for pure BRs or barred Easter Eggers. The Delaware coop has 55 sf, plus storage for feed, so there is plenty of room for all of those girls and Dutch. We will, however, expand the pen somewhat.
In the end, the main laying flock, led by Isaac, will include six Delaware hens; the BR coop, led by Dutch, will include 4 Ameraucana hens for barred EEs. That will save on shavings, a big cost around here, as well as maintenance. Then, the little Firetower will be freed up to use as a grow-out coop or broody coop, or hospital coop. And, in the future, Suede's coop will revert to the same type thing, to be used in temporary arrangements rather than permanent ones.
I was a bit concerned about Isaac with that many girls, but I'm told that a Delaware rooster can handle that many by himself just fine.
As of now, I have four coops being used by four different groups. I removed Dutch from the main flock after he decided he needed to rush me from time to time and put him in the little Firetower coop with three BR girls. So, I have that group, the main layers, the BBS Orps and the Delawares. I will be rearranging so there are only three coops to maintain, then eventually, when my blue Orp rooster, Suede, passes on, that coop will be vacated and whatever girls he has will go into the main laying flock.
The Delawares with Isaac and five girls will go to the main coop, so Ike will have 24 girls instead of just 5. The Del eggs are pretty easy to distinguish most of the time so no issues there if I wanted pure Dels. There is one Del pullet who is running with the layers right now, so in that group, there will be Ike, six Del girls plus all the rest of the mixed laying flock except for Shadow, my only banty. I've moved my huge RIR/Buff Orp hen, Meg, back in with Suede since we lost Skye last week and he was left with just two hens.
Dutch will move into the Delaware coop with all five BR hens, four BBS Ameraucanas and Shadow. Dutch never pays attention to Shadow so she will be safe with them. In that coop, then, I can collect eggs for pure BRs or barred Easter Eggers. The Delaware coop has 55 sf, plus storage for feed, so there is plenty of room for all of those girls and Dutch. We will, however, expand the pen somewhat.
In the end, the main laying flock, led by Isaac, will include six Delaware hens; the BR coop, led by Dutch, will include 4 Ameraucana hens for barred EEs. That will save on shavings, a big cost around here, as well as maintenance. Then, the little Firetower will be freed up to use as a grow-out coop or broody coop, or hospital coop. And, in the future, Suede's coop will revert to the same type thing, to be used in temporary arrangements rather than permanent ones.
I was a bit concerned about Isaac with that many girls, but I'm told that a Delaware rooster can handle that many by himself just fine.
