Two smaller coops instead of one big coop?

[TwoShepherds]

Sorry to keep bombarding the board with questions. I hope someday to be experienced enough to return the favor.

So, my plan was to start out with 7-8 hens but have enough room to expand to 12-15 in a year or two if all went well. Long story short, now is not the right time for us to build a coop, and I'm having some problems finding a pre-made coop locally that is big enough, can be placed within our fence, and is in our price range.

Is it possible, or should I say advisable, to put two more modest size coops together (say 8 x 5 or 8 x 6)? We'd prefer to get one coop now and then another later if we wanted to expand, however it looks like even getting two smaller coops now would be cheaper than buying the single large coop. Would hens divide themselves comfortably among two coops or would they want to be in one coop together and then be overcrowded and unhappy?

I'd kind of like to put the coops side-by-side in a large run--I haven't planned the exact dimensions but we have tons of space, so at the minimum I plan on 10' square per chicken. I can probably go larger, especially if I can incorporate parts of our existing fence. I could split the run and seperate the coops on either side but aesthetically I'd prefer to have the coops together with a shared run. Any thoughts? Are any of these plans feasible?

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

 

[aart]

Would hens divide themselves comfortably among two coops or would they want to be in one coop together and then be overcrowded and unhappy?

I can work, but risky, IMO.....and may cost more in the long run.
They usually all like to be together, might need to split the run too.

 

[TwoShepherds]

Thanks, I was kind of afraid that the whole flock would just try to squeeze into the same coop even if there were two. I've wanted chickens for a long time, but haven't had any, so I have to guess about their behavior. I suppose I will make the two-coop scenario, my last resort. I just found a local builder who specializes in agricultural buildings who is going to give me a quote. I am crossing my fingers that he comes up with a plan in our budget.