New to chicken rearing, wanting a new coop run.

[DamKate]

Hi everyone! We inherited 10 chickens with our recent home/acreage purchase, lost one within 5 days of possession to sour crop (we believe), and are now wanting to build a new coop (the old one is of very poor design off the tool shed) and a new run. My questions are, with these ladies being used to the current situation, would they be likely to accept a new coop, design, in a new location? And the location we want for the run is old pasture land and has a lot of straw grasses, would we have to till it prior?

My major problems with the coop is that there is no insulation for winter, the roosts are the top of the nesting boxes (think: crates with cut-outs for hay/nests and the birds roosting right on top), there is no place for feeders, no location but a small cup hook for heat lamps (in the PACNW) and the only door is one large one, and I have to keep the large one open all day so they can free range (we have a long rope latch and block it open with a brick in the daytime), not to mention I have to walk inside on all the poo to collect eggs, which is very inconvenient for moving from house to coop to house with eggs.

So we are committed to building a happier, warmer, caretaker friendly coop, but will the ladies take?

Any comments, advice, or opinions appreciated.

 

[gale65]

I don't know the answer about chickens taking to the new coop but I sure hope it's yes. We are almost done building a new coop that will sit in a slightly different spot than the current one and I am picturing myself chasing chickens and putting them in it. I'm hoping not to have to do that.

Not sure what straw grasses are so I don't know if you'd need to till but I wouldn't think so.

As for insulation and heat lamps, there are differing opinions. We didn't insulate our coop (we did the north wall and the ends of the nest box but that's it) and are not planning on adding heat unless it gets well below zero. Chickens seem to tolerate cold better than they do hot.

 

[Alethea]

You might need to convince them at first, but once they've slept in there, know the food and water and nest box are there and have had a treat or two, I think they'll adjust.

 

[DamKate]

Thanks so much!

 

[gale65]

Just an update on how ours went. Only 2 of our chickens were brave enough to go in the new coop. The rest had to be put in the coop and then put on the roost. Hopefully tonight they will go on-they've been going in and out all day to eat and drink. I hope yours goes more smoothly!

 

[FarmerGrant011]

Maybe take the egg boxes, clean them out, and then attach them to your new coop just to give a sense of home.? Idk if this will help, but I think it will! I am very interested how this is going to turn out.

and also