Need help with coop design

flocking nuts

Chirping
Jun 13, 2016
106
12
66
Homestead, Florida
We purchased 6 chicks about that many weeks ago. I knew six was pushing it, but didn't have any way of knowing they would end up 14. The short version is a hen adopted us with her brood right after we got our flock. She hatched 10 chicks! We adopted one of the chicks that she rejected, making our flock 7, and in the first week one died. We had 7 inside and she took care of the 8 outside. A week ago we suspect mamma hen chased afyer something with a chick, because a chick was missing and mamma was found dead on the farm n mextdoor.
So now we how our flock of 7 that is outside in a small coop. The orphaned 7 in something similar right next to it, thought much more hastily assembled.

I need to build a full sized coop, and have the following questions /concerns.

  • the two flocks dont really get along, and prefer not to be in the same area of the yard for long when freeranging. Will they learn to get along enough to share a coop?
  • I know we bought a roo, and I think there might be 2 in the orphaned flock. Can i keep more than 1 roo in a coop?
  • we thought about building 2 coops with a shared run, but then i began to worry that they would start getting along and all want to sleep in one to be together.
  • another thing i considered is buildinga large coop and dividing it in half.
  • this is going to be huge! I didn't plan on such a large structure being necessary, and i still want a garden, place for the little human, dogs, and cat to play.
  • we rent, and there is a large yard, but we have a variety of fruit trees on it, and 3 sides of the property is lined by giant royal palms, so if theres a hurricane the coop will be crushed by falling palms.
  • can i make it 2 story? If so how does that work?
  • oh did i mention hurricanes? We live in homestead fl (outside of miami) and i haven't found much info about subtropical coops. Dealing with hurricanes, heat, humidity, sideways rains, and occasional cold snap is a mystery to me.

Any and all help is appreciated.

I've posted pics of the orphans in another thread. Please feel free to helpguess gender or breed.

Wendy
 

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