Sharing run wall between two pens?

[Doc7]

You have 6 adult birds in one coop, correct?
3 new chicks brooded in small coop next spring, then integrated in with 6 adults at 4-6 weeks. So you'll have 9 birds all living together by fall, then you remove the ones you want to cull before winter.

Your first statement is correct. But my main coop is 4x6’ and if the 9 birds live together and don’t separate at night it is way too small for all of them.

 

[aart]

Your first statement is correct. But my main coop is 4x6’ and if the 9 birds live together and don’t separate at night it is way too small for all of them.

Well, the chicks can still use the smaller coop until you cull the oldest 3.....the runs can be combined.

 

[Doc7]

Well, the chicks can still use the smaller coop until you cull the oldest 3.....the runs can be combined.

@aart the more I think about this the more I think that the small coop as a chick raiser setup until they are ready to lay is indeed the better option. With my previously laid out plan I end up having 2 nest boxes to gather from every day (or train chicken-sitters on, etc). Using the small coop as a grow-out pen avoids that for spring and most of the summer although I will have that awkward month or three when chicks come into Lay and the older hens haven't slowed down production yet.

If from the ages of 4 weeks up to 5 months old the chicks and chickens are separated by a pen wall (I still think combining runs ends up with 9 hens roosting in one undersized coop at night) but at least several hours each week they free-range in the yard together, will I still need to worry about an integration plan months down the road when I remove 3 hens and place the 3 pullets and 3 hens all together full time in the larger set up? Or will they have sorted out their issues out in the yard, squabbling over cracked corn etc and locking them in the coop and run together will be a non issue?

 

[aart]

will I still need to worry about an integration plan months down the road when I remove 3 hens and place the 3 pullets and 3 hens all together full time in the larger set up?

Yes.

It's easier to integrate the chicks early, they will likely continue to roost in the smaller coop until they reach point of lay.

How big are these 2 setups?
Dimensions and especially pics would really help here.

 

[Doc7]

Yes.

It's easier to integrate the chicks early, they will likely continue to roost in the smaller coop until they reach point of lay.

How big are these 2 setups?
Dimensions and especially pics would really help here.

Here is my existing 6 hen setup with a 4x6 coop and 8x8 run.

I have access to a 4x4x3 wooden crate that I plan to add a couple doors, roof and ventilation to in order to create my new 3 Hen coop. Additionally I will build a 4x8 run in the same style as existing (maybe sharing the 8 foot length of wall with the existing, maybe making an L with 4’ shared wall instead)

 

[aart]

Make some kind of door(s) in shared run wall.
Maybe a big one with a tiny chick doors built in.
Tiny doors for chick integration, large door for sharing run later.
You'll want to set up some 'hiding places' in the large run for during chick integration.

 

[Doc7]

Make some kind of door(s) in shared run wall.
Maybe a big one with a tiny chick doors built in.
Tiny doors for chick integration, large door for sharing run later.
You'll want to set up some 'hiding places' in the large run for during chick integration.

I am still not clear on what happens when all 9 chickens try to roost and poop In the big coop after the chicks feel comfortable enough to do so...

 

[aart]

I am still not clear on what happens when all 9 chickens try to roost and poop In the big coop after the chicks feel comfortable enough to do so...

I suppose that's when you get rid of the oldest 3,
or separate them again.....you can decide when it happens.

 

[Doc7]

Hm. I can do some measuring and some figuring (not buying additional hardware cloth beyond what I already have left over and see if I can do this....

It won’t be pretty as my original build because I will be using some cheap free hardware.

With appropriate chicks sized escape routes to the extensions when the people doors are shut, this could allow easy integration if I use the “new wing” as a separated area for the chicks. There would be a full loop of the entire enclosure so no dead ends.

With all doors open and panic-room blocker removed after full integration it’s appropriately sized for 9 hens/pullets and I don’t need to gather eggs from a separate coop.