Separate coops, shared run/free range...is it possible?

[DreadedMoonMama]

So we're currently working on adding a second room onto our run. Our idea is to have a door between the 2 rooms...when we have meat birds (currently 10 chickens and 5 turkeys), they will be housed in one side (and fed flock feed/grower/ect.) and the layers in the other. But we free-range our birds, and I'm wondering if we let them out to pasture or even out in a shared run, will they return to their own coop to eat? Or will they go in each others' coops? I'm hoping that if I keep them locked up for a few days (like we do when we get new chickens), they'll learn that THAT is their coop, and not go mess with the other side. Has anyone done this successfully?

 

[KDK1]

Yes, My grandmother always had two large flocks, two coops and one huge chicken yard. They would return to their own coop each evening to roost. There were of course the occasional mix-ups, but as the general rule they kept themselves separate from each other.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

We have six chickens who live in two coops but free range together during the day. It helps to go out and police them at dusk for a few days making sure they go where they are supposed to. It should work. Ours are an integrated flock and it works.

 

[DreadedMoonMama]

Awesome! That makes things much simpler for me! lol Especially since m husband is getting quite fed up in "just one more chicken project". Chicken math has really kept me from being done. lol