To add second coop, or not to?

[chinzilla]

I need some advice from my BYCers! We currently have two breeds of chickens: 1 hen & 1 rooster - heinz 57 breed and 2 pullets 1 rooster - Silkie breed. They've all been cohabitating nicely in the coop that we have, however, recently we've been thinking about building a second coop and separating out the flocks. The boys have been getting a bit feisty with each other (and, well, with US!) and we think it might be because 2 boys in such close proximity is no bueno. No issues when they are free ranging - so we think if they had separate homes and then just got together during the day, it might be better.

Now, we all KNOW just how much chickens LOOOOOVE change...

so we'd like your opinions! To separate or to not? We know as the boys get older they are most likely going to be even more frustrated that they have to share a coop and right now, when we release them from the run to free range, the silkie boy comes running out like a bat out of hell - charging everything in sight... as well as attempting to spur both myself and my husband and we aren't diggin it. So we're hoping this might calm him down a little? Speaking of spurring, our other roo has it out for the hubby - he will stop whatever he's doing and stalk him all around the yard and try to attack.

 

[Pele]

I don't think you'll find a BYCer that will NOT recommend adding more coops .

However, I would recommend that if seperating the flock doesn't calm down the roos (which it most likely won't), get rid of them. Aggression is not to be tolerated, nor allowed to be passed along to the next generation. It's especially ridiculous to have to tolerate in a silkie.

There's plenty of gentlemen roos out there that need a home.

 

[chinzilla]

hahahah I guess I was more or less asking the best way to go about introducing NEW coop to the children and teaching them how to separate out? Or is it better to get rid of one of the roo's and replace him with a new lady?

Then it comes down to which roo do we get rid of? Since I'm the one handling the children on a day to day basis I say the one that has been sneak attacking me (I go into the coop and then BAM attack on my leg!

) Hubby will just have to learn how to handle himself with the other one haha.

I don't want to get rid of BOTH roo's because one of them (the one that goes after my husband) is a fantastic defender - watched him handle a cat that was trying to get to the ladies yesterday, in fact - and we have a lot of predators. All ladies sounds like a recipe for dead hens.

 

[chfite]

When we had two roosters and 4 hens, there was all manner of tension and ragged hens. We sent one rooster to live elsewhere. Much quieter, but the hens were still over mated.

Added 5 hens. Once they reached maturity, life was much easier on the hens. Other than for molting, the hens have all their feathers. The rooster is quite the gentleman, now.

When we added the hens, we built another coop so that the space would be adequate. Eventually, they moved into the old coop where everyone sleeps now. So we have a coop that pretty much just sits unused.

Chris