New to chickens- bachelor coop? Thunderdome???

[LHP]

Hey there!

Back in April my Dad decided he wanted some chickens for eggs. He built a nice coop and my kids and I volunteered to raise some chicks for him.

We got 6 RIRs from tractor supply and they’re around 13 weeks old now. Looks like they’re all roosters. I’ve been in denial about it and I keep trying to convince myself that maybe one or two are just manly-looking ladies. One died unexpectedly last weekend (looked like he’d just dropped dead- no real visible signs of trauma) so now I guess we’ve got 5 Roos. They occasionally flap at each other, but as a whole they seem to coexist ok for now.

My kids have babied and loved these guys HARD. My Dad lives next door and my four year old daughter sings to the chickens every day and they seem to genuinely enjoy her affections.

So is keeping them as pets in a bachelor coop a good idea?

I’ve read that Rhode Island Reds Roos are hot birds. Are they gonna turn on us and/or each other? Am I creating a Jurassic Park Thunderdome?

If it’s not a dumb idea, would a large dog house and a run suffice? We’re on a huge farm, so could they free range if they had shelter at night?

Sorry for the questions and thanks!

 

[black_cat]

Welcome! From what I understand, you still need the same amount of space, if not more, for a rooster flock as you do with a hen flock. If you get some hens, you'd have to free range them at separate times-you don't want the roos to go girl crazy! Otherwise, if you don't mind all the crowing, it'd probably work out. Tractor Supply is notorious for bad sexing and labeling of breeds for its chicks. In the future you'd probably want to buy from a hatchery instead of a feed store. Good luck and happy chickening!

 

[LHP]

Thank you!
As far as room, I guess I’m just worried/confused about what they’d need as far as interior space and I’m trying to avoid building a whole new coop. I’m thinking about taking this old dog house, maybe raising it on posts, and fencing in the area around it. Would that work or would they need more interior room?

 

[black_cat]

Thank you!
As far as room, I guess I’m just worried/confused about what they’d need as far as interior space and I’m trying to avoid building a whole new coop. I’m thinking about taking this old dog house, maybe raising it on posts, and fencing in the area around it. Would that work or would they need more interior room?

What are the dimensions of the dog house? A good rule of thumb is that they should have about 5 square feet each in the coop. You also need a roost in it. More space is always better, however. For a proper run you will need to predator proof it. It should be protected from predators breaking fencing, reaching through fencing, digging under fencing, and swooping down from above. You also don't want any rodents getting into the food.

 

[LHP]

Thanks again- It’s 5’8” x 4’

I was definitely planning on predator proofing any fencing. Lots of great horned owls, foxes, mink, etc. There’s even a nesting pair of Bald Eagles in the trees in the background of the pic but they’ve never bothered our ducks or cats. I was raised here but just moved back. What we lack in internet signal, we make up for in predators.

 

[aart]

So is keeping them as pets in a bachelor coop a good idea?

Could be fine, could be disastrous.
How old are your kids?

That dog house is a bit small for 5 birds, and I see no ventilation.