I am fairly new to the chicken business and I had an idea to run by everyone to see if you all thought it might work. I currently have 10 Light Brahma birds that I got as fuzzies last year. I just ordered 15 more Light Brahma chicks and 10 Rhode Island Red chicks. The light Brahma's are a straight run and I will raise the roosters for meat birds. I currently have a rather large Coop that according to most everything I've read should house about 50 birds (converted an old log barn into my coop). Free ranging our chicks really isn't an option where I live, too many predators. Is what I'm thinking of doing is building a few of the portable "Hoop Coops" that I've seen on here and dividing my birds into smaller flocks of around 10 through the summer so I can rotate the coops around our pasture. Then combining everyone in the large coop to winter. Has anyone else tried something like this with much success? I'm worried that when I try to combine the flocks for the winter I will have problems integrating them. Any thoughts? I would love the input.
I do similar with subflocks that vary in age by about 28 days. Integration in fall occurs at same time many birds are culled. The culling disrupts within subflock pecking order making so flock combing involves minimal additional strife. Flocks can also be united at same time coop receiving new birds is rearranged with respect to feeders, waters and roosts or anything else that can be move easily. Latter effort makes so no body has home court advantage.
