Two Coops

[LeaP2010]

Hi all! My babies are about a week away from going outside to their new home. Question though . . . I have 6 chickens and two small coops, one per 3 hens. No roos. Will I have any issues keeping them separated into the two coops at night only? They haven’t been particularly aggressive towards each other as of now. Has anyone done this? I just don’t have the space or money to buy/build a large coop to house them all together right now. See picture of not finished run with coops


Thanks!

 

[wamtazlady]

I just don't know how you are going to get 3 to go into one coop and 3 to go into the other coop. In general they like to stay together. Seems to me without too much trouble you could cut a hole in each coop and combine them together into one coop.

 

[LeaP2010]

I just don't know how you are going to get 3 to go into one coop and 3 to go into the other coop. In general they like to stay together. Seems to me without too much trouble you could cut a hole in each coop and combine them together into one coop.

I thought about that too but the only issue is there’s a nesting box on the same side of each coop and how do I keep it warm after cutting a hole in the side of one, I feel like in the winter that would let a draft in. Thoughts?

 

[Henrybelle]

Measure and cut the same size hole into the sides of the walls of each coop that don’t have the nest boxes. Then attach them together. they may be facing different ways but the chickens won’t know the difference. Wallah! One big coop

 

[rosemarythyme]

I thought about that too but the only issue is there’s a nesting box on the same side of each coop and how do I keep it warm after cutting a hole in the side of one, I feel like in the winter that would let a draft in. Thoughts?

You're worried about drafts, I'm worried that I don't see any ventilation in those coops at all. Is there ventilation that we can't see in the photos? If not, you're going to need to start cutting holes regardless.

Keeping a coop airtight doesn't keep chickens warm, keeping it ventilated to let moist air out lets chickens stay dry and therefore hold heat in with their feathers.

As far as putting the two together, maybe sacrifice one set of nest boxes and use that opening plus one cut out of the other coop and jam them together that way. I assume there's 2 nest boxes per coop, so that's already plenty for 6 chickens.

 

[cavemanrich]

I would take out pretty much the entire wall on each coop. and attach them together. Definitely need some ventilation as I see it, as well as some windows to allow for daylight.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[LeaP2010]

You're worried about drafts, I'm worried that I don't see any ventilation in those coops at all. Is there ventilation that we can't see in the photos? If not, you're going to need to start cutting holes regardless.

Keeping a coop airtight doesn't keep chickens warm, keeping it ventilated to let moist air out lets chickens stay dry and therefore hold heat in with their feathers.

As far as putting the two together, maybe sacrifice one set of nest boxes and use that opening plus one cut out of the other coop and jam them together that way. I assume there's 2 nest boxes per coop, so that's already plenty for 6 chickens.

There’s ventilation on the back of each coop and a nesting box in each

 

[igorsMistress]

As chicks they'll all stay together, safety in numbers. They may segregate as adults or they may fight over the space. Is there a possibility of combining the coops before they get older?

 

[rosemarythyme]

If that's a single nest box on each then it's probably decently wide, at least 2', so multiple chickens can use it. So I still think sacrificing the nests on one unit will most easily let you put the two units together.