New coop and integrating flocks (at the same time..!)

[ValerieJ]

Well, I think you are very kind to be taking in everyone's homeless chickens. I would certainly never want to make you feel discouraged, so I think I must have said that all wrong. I'm sorry for that!

I like the idea of refitting the old coop and making it more usable. I don't like standing on my head cleaning coops either, so I would include an easier way to clean into the rehab. All of my coops are rather small, 4x8 with external nest boxes, 4x4, 3x3 and 4x4. (I have 12 chickens and they have about 4000 sf outdoor space.) I have found having one wall hinged to open completely helps with cleaning. Also, I bought child sized rakes and hoes for pulling out the old straw or shavings and spreading the new.

After working with these coops over the last 4 years, basically adding one every year to accommodate more chickens, I'm finally having a large 8x10 walk in built in March. It will be nice to walk into a coop to clean it!!!

Good luck with all your chicken adventures!!! And hey, we are all always learning something new about our chickens! I sometimes think I'm the worst chicken mom there is, and find comfort knowing other folks here are learning as they go too!!!

 

[ValerieJ]

Oh, and another cleaning secret -- on two of my smaller coops I can open the roof itself for cleaning. A bit difficult when it's raining, and I have to move quickly, but still doable.

 

[renaissance_man]

Thanks for all the suggestions - I appreciate it!

So now, I've turned the old coop around and raised it (photo attached Much easier to clean! On the other hand, after reopening it, there's only one bird going there, and the rest are all sticking to the new coop. But maybe over the next couple weeks they'll all re-settle to whichever area they choose, and feel a bit more comfortable.

On top of that, I'll be inheriting a third coop on Sunday, which I was originally going to renew a bit and set up for a friend to start raising chickens, but now I wonder about keeping it myself and adding a third... seems like overkill, but maybe not?? It seems odd to have three coops for only 11 chickens... Do they like sleeping in separate groups with that few?

 

[aart]

Do they like sleeping in separate groups with that few?

They might, especially if they came to your place in separate groups, or they may all just try to cram themselves into one.

 

[ValerieJ]

Thanks for all the suggestions - I appreciate it!

So now, I've turned the old coop around and raised it (photo attached Much easier to clean! On the other hand, after reopening it, there's only one bird going there, and the rest are all sticking to the new coop. But maybe over the next couple weeks they'll all re-settle to whichever area they choose, and feel a bit more comfortable.

On top of that, I'll be inheriting a third coop on Sunday, which I was originally going to renew a bit and set up for a friend to start raising chickens, but now I wonder about keeping it myself and adding a third... seems like overkill, but maybe not?? It seems odd to have three coops for only 11 chickens... Do they like sleeping in separate groups with that few?

I have 4 coops for 12 chickens. I might have mentioned that before. It's just what happens if you start off with inadequate space in the coop. Normally I allow the chickens to choose their coop, but right now I have two of them occupied with two cockerels who are in that crazy hormonal stage.

 

[ConDioFarms]

Thank you for all the photos! It looks like a great set-up for all of the birds.
I would keep maintaining the smaller(improved) coop and use it in the future for housing a broody hen/hatchlings until they are reintroduced into the main flock..especially since it can be closed off from the others.
A third coop would be fine, as long as it doesn’t appear to be ‘junky’...I speak from experience, when my wife ‘suggested’ that I stop at 3...