Those with more than one coop.....

[southerndesert]

We also have two coop/pens and each flock is about 20 birds, they all free range together and then return to their own hen house at night. Every now and then one will defect to another coop, but not often.

Once used to a home they continue to use that hen house in our experience.....

 

[johnsons-r-us]

This is what I was hoping to hear.....from you who have them!

 

[Mom2Five]

We have three coops of varying sizes and they all go back to their own coop to roost at night. They all free range together during the day. And they were all raised in their specific coop. My smallest coop (which is really just a very large dog crate) sometimes gets shut closed and, instead of just going into one of the other two coops, those birds will be huddled together roosting on top until I go out to open their cage door and let them in.

 

[darin367]

i've got a 6x6 coop that i started with for my original flock... as the flock grew, i decided to build a bigger coop on the other end of the run..... now i have 15 birds/2 roos that pack into the 6x6, they use the bigger/new coop for laying eggs and day use but every night they pack into the small coop.... usually the last 2 in are outta luck so they go to new coop.... the flock has this mysterious way of continuing to grow so more n more will be using the big coop if they want to or not..

 

[diggerthechickenman]

just out of curisoty i went to my coop's last night to see since i read this thread , and some of the smaller pullets have managed to MIX in with the big ones. so i guess they know when too many is too many.

 

[chicmom]

Definitely! I have two coops. A coop for my bantam sized chickens, and then my large fowl coop. After brooding, when they're fully feathered, they go out into the coop and are locked in that coop and run for a full two weeks. After the two weeks, I can let them free range. I start by letting them out for an hour or so before dark. I do that for about the first week, then after that, I can let them free range all day, and everybody goes back to the coop they were raised in.

 

[dawg53]

I have 3 coops, 3 pens, and 2 different places in the yard for them to free range. The third smaller pen is big enough for the 2 birds I have located there...no need for me to let them out in the yard with the main group. The main group free ranges in the backyard all day. The second group free ranges in the side yard, sometimes the front yard.

 

[diggerthechickenman]

mine also all free range together , i guess they have gotten used to each other so thats y they sleep together

 

[Katydid2011]

We have three separate coops with three separate runs but the chickens all free-range together, weather permitting, for most of the day. They will occasionally co-mingle while they're out and about but for the most part they stay in three distinct flocks and range in different areas. Each flock has a favorite "umbrella" shrub that they gather under to preen, socialize, and sleep. At night they go back to their separate coops without any direction from us.

The key lies in making sure that the chickens identify the right coop as home straight off or they may choose to crowd into another coop. Once they identify a coop as home you'll have a heck of a time trying to convince them to move.

 

[gritsar]

All my chickens free range. I've had my brahmas in their coop, surprisingly referred to as "the brahma coop" for nearly four years now. About a year and a half ago we added a second coop, for a flock of several different breeds, we refer to that coop as "the baby coop". Although the brahmas have investigated the "baby coop" and vice versa, 99% of the time the birds return to their own coops at night to roost.

The brahmas have always used their own coop and their own nesting boxes to lay their eggs. A couple of the younger birds will use the brahma coop to lay their eggs if they get the chance. Birds from either coop will get a drink of water or a bite to eat in either coop. Same exact waterers, same exact feeders, but somehow a treat when it comes in a different location.

Awhile back I switched all the nestboxes in the baby coop out for new ones. The old boxes were covered kitty litter pans, same as what's in the brahma coop. The new nestboxes are round and mounted on the wall of the coop. My younger hens did not like the change at all and would literally "hold it" until I let them out in the morning and then make a mad dash to the brahma coop to use nestboxes that were the same as their old boxes.

Yesterday was kind of interesting. It was very stormy and it got dark alot faster than normal. It caught me by surprise and I was late going out to lock the birds up. Whereas the baby coop is situated to take advantage of any available light, the brahma coop is shut up for the winter so gets darker, faster. Two of my brahmas hens were apparently afraid to enter their coop because of how dark it was.

One brahma, Snowy, hid in some bushes and came running to me the minute I stepped outside. I picked her up and carried her to her coop. Once inside I did a headcount and came up short one brahma, Dink. Searched everywhere for her, checked both coops several times. I finally found her hiding behind a crate in the larger baby coop. Apparently Dink knew enough to seek shelter in a coop, but because the brahmas pretty much keep to themselves she wasn't comfortable with roosting with the younger birds.

As soon as my husband gets home from work today we will be moving the third coop that we purchased over the weekend to the garden where the two other coops are located for a pair of special needs chicks that are currently living in the brooder.

Let the games begin.