New Coop Behavior

[BonnieBlue]

I don't blame you there! Since there's only 2 hens right now, it might be worth it to block the nest boxes in the evening (after laying time has ended), and see if that gets miss nest-sleeper onto the roost. I know you'd rather not resort to that, but her instinct *should* be to get up high when it starts to get dark (since your nests are raised, she may be content with that, and not seek out the actual roost). If the nests are not accessible, she'll only have one option.

I might block the nests AND manually place on the roost for a couple nights, then just block the nests in the p.m. until they get their s*** together!

Wishing you luck!

Nice coop BTW! I saw the pics on the other thread. I'm sure they'll be very happy in it once they get settled. Are you planning to get more chickens?

Thank you. I will have to get the materials to block the boxes. I know how I can block them. I'd be ecstatic if she'd get the hint from just being placed on the roost. Lol

I am going to engage in chicken math. I have arranged to get a couple of pallets that are just starting to lay from a friend. I will be moving the old coop and using it as a hospital/brooder and can keep them there for an adjustment period. Next spring I will start more chicks. I am still in process of moving so fall chicks just aren't feasible with everything going on. My plan is to add a few every year.

Edit: pullets, not pallets. Auto correct nailed me on that one.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Sounds like you have a plan! You got this.

Chicken math will get ya every time!

My first year, I ordered 6, got 8, and lost 1 to a hawk right before they hit the one year mark (we now have a huge chicken yard (40'x60') covered with hawk netting). Since then we've added 17 more chicks (2 separate batches) and lost 4. So we went from "let's just get 5 or 6" to 20 chickens in a very short period of time (hence the need for the much larger coop, lol).

Where we started:

Where we ended up
(Chicken math = )

I hope you'll keep us updated on any new additions to your flock!

 

[BonnieBlue]

Sounds like you have a plan! You got this.

Chicken math will get ya every time!

My first year, I ordered 6, got 8, and lost 1 to a hawk right before they hit the one year mark (we now have a huge chicken yard (40'x60') covered with hawk netting). Since then we've added 17 more chicks (2 separate batches) and lost 4. So we went from "let's just get 5 or 6" to 20 chickens in a very short period of time (hence the need for the much larger coop, lol).

Where we started:
View attachment 4208367
View attachment 4208368

Where we ended up
(Chicken math = )
View attachment 4208369
View attachment 4208370View attachment 4208375
I hope you'll keep us updated on any new additions to your flock!

Oh, I love your set up. You definitely gave your girls a better space. Such a nice big space for them to play safely and be chickens.

I started with 10, knowing I would have to give some away. That was a minimum order. I picked the 5 I liked best, and gave 5 to a friend at 8 weeks, including one that turned out to be a roo. Unfortunately, my favorite one was loud. Sweet as could be, and loved to be handled, but she had to tell you about everything. Loudly. In my (now former) hoa, some people used "nuisance" for anything, and the witch two doors down was the type to use it. I gave away my favorite, and one of her sisters to make her transition easier, to a different friend when the girls were 6 months. It killed me, but better than possibly losing all. Then summer 24 my new favorite who loved to be petted and held got an impacted crop and I couldn't save her. So for over a year now, just 2. I went the wrong way. Chicken subtraction is no fun!

This small coop is where I started. I can't wait to start adding. I am channeling my father who raised chickens. Besides loving it, I feel like I am continuing what he loved.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Sorry about your previous troubles. That sounds very difficult. I've never had to give any away, but I do feel heartbroken each time I've lost one (2 of the 4 were quite preventable which made me feel worse.

We also have a few VERY loud girls (no roosters). Thankfully, we're on 10 acres, semi-rural, and no HOA. So, we can laugh about it when they're squawking away the buttcrack of dawn. (Wakes my 15 y.o. up).

This small coop is where I started. I can't wait to start adding. I am channeling my father who raised chickens. Besides loving it, I feel like I am continuing what he loved.

Wow! Those girls are quite lucky to have a caretaker willing to put as much into it as you have! And what a nice way to honor your dad.

 

[BonnieBlue]

Sorry about your previous troubles. That sounds very difficult. I've never had to give any away, but I do feel heartbroken each time I've lost one (2 of the 4 were quite preventable which made me feel worse.

We also have a few VERY loud girls (no roosters). Thankfully, we're on 10 acres, semi-rural, and no HOA. So, we can laugh about it when they're squawking away the buttcrack of dawn. (Wakes my 15 y.o. up).


Wow! Those girls are quite lucky to have a caretaker willing to put as much into it as you have! And what a nice way to honor your dad.

Thank you. The "Bar R" on the left side of the front of the cooop is a nod to him, my grandfather, and great grandfather. All were cattle ranchers and all had chickens. But for my dad, they were not just livestock, those were his girls! The Bar R was the brand registered to my family since the early 1900's. The Bar R was on the gate at my parent's place. I took it down before I sold their house and the part of the ranch that needed to go with it. It's kind of a way to keep him with me when I am out there.

I am so glad to be out of an hoa where some people just cannot let others just live. There's always a few that have to make others as miserable as they are. I am on 5 acres now, and if my girls get noisy, i'll just take eggs as a little gift to soften the noise to the nextdoor 5 acres neighbors. I figure eggs can make friends!

 

[ChickyCh00k]

The Bar R was the brand registered to my family since the early 1900's. The Bar R was on the gate at my parent's place. I took it down before I sold their house and the part of the ranch that needed to go with it. It's kind of a way to keep him with me when I am out there.

I love this!