Two coops, one run?

[kklowell]

I'm curious if anyone has had two coops using one run. I'm wondering if the girls would pick one or the other to stay in, and if it would end up being a bunch of hens that didn't get along well.

 

[cavemanrich]

I think the chickens would go to the coop they are used to going into. I think there would also be some crossover ones that would change housing.
What is your reason for getting second coop? Increased chicken capacity? You may consider joining the 2 together. All the extras would scotch over into the overflow section . This way only one pop door to open and close.
Your chickens would get along well. It is not like people from one building not liking those in adjacent building. You can say that chickens are more tolerant than people in some ways.
WISHING YOU BEST.........

 

[kklowell]

What I was thinking was a coop on each end of the run. The reason would simply be that I think my wife would like that more than she'd like one large coop, and that two coops might offer more flexibility. One potential downside might be that the number of hens per house might be too low in cold weather?

 

[ehoneybee]

What I was thinking was a coop on each end of the run. The reason would simply be that I think my wife would like that more than she'd like one large coop, and that two coops might offer more flexibility. One potential downside might be that the number of hens per house might be too low in cold weather?

I want to do this, too, but got a lot of opposition. Ppl thought it wouldn't work to separate them like that because they're flock animals, but I assume they'll naturally pair off. Might be more in one than the other. I don't know about opposite ends of the run, though. Maybe side by side?

 

[kklowell]

I'm more likely at this point to just make one coop bigger. Mostly because I'm worried about creating two flocks that don't get along well.

 

[Hensatpadden]

I have two coops with one run. I started that way cause the coops were free. There are Five one year old hens in one coop and five two year olds in the other. They are all together in the runs and seem to get along fine if not overcrowded. The first five came from a friend who could no longer keep them. The next five I raised from chicks last spring. When they all reached the same size I lifted the dividers in the runs. They had plenty of time to get to know each other through the wire before I let them mingle together. The only problem I had at first was that one older hen that was low on the pecking order Wanted to join the young ones at night and wouldn’t let them in their coop. After a few nights of chasing her out and physically placing her on the roost in her coop they all settled in. I must say though that the run areas have several sections and a wing that includes a tree. So they have plenty of room and can be off to themselves if they like. They all are free to roam into each other’s coops and use the nest boxes in either one. Now this spring I have six new chicks.....I’m probably going to put the first ten hens together when the chicks are ready for the smaller coop.

 

[Hensatpadden]

I must add that it is a pain in the neck having two coops to close up at night and open in the morning. But they are each built like Fort Knox totally wrapped with hardware cloth. We have many predators in our area. I am working on an idea for a passage between the coops so I need to only open one door eventually.