Use two chicken coops in same yard?

[Jeff Cooper]

If I use two small coops in the same chicken yard will all of the chickens try to pile in the same coop or will they naturally split into two groups with one group in each coop?

 

[21hens-incharge]

I believe they will try to stay together. That may mean they sleep on top of a coop instead of inside at all.

Is there a reason for 2 small coops instead of one bigger one?

 

[jonalisa]

Yes ...... lumber prices. I cannot afford the coop I want for the flock size I plan on having next year. I was gonna build one smaller coop now with about half the birds I intend to have later. Then build another small coop next spring when I get more chickens.

Maybe build something now that you can enlarge in the future.

 

[FuzzyOwlFeet]

Everyone's experience will be different - However, I have three chicken coops in the same property. Chickens are fairly easy to train, start locking them up in the coops you prefer them in and they'll start learning which coop is theirs. At night if you notice they are roosting in the wrong coop, move them to the correct one yourself. They'll learn eventually.

I use three coops because my original one was not big enough for the amount of chickens I wanted. So I built one and bought another at an auction, now I've got more room than I could dream of!

 

[Banana01]

Would you feel disappointed if they didn't use one and slept together after you got two, or do you plan to repurpose it for brooding or something else?

Because it depends on the roosters/hens preference, and it can change weekly. I had two seperate coop structures 30 feet apart, consisting of perches under a roof for a free ranging flock. At first nobody used the new one, which was better. Then the two dominant roosters liked to seperate. One rooster liked to sleep alone so he moved by himself and his hens followed him. Then the other rooster followed after the others left him alone. Now one coop has been abandoned by them and I use it for something else, but it is still there if needed. And you can always place them yourself but they may or may not choose to stay. They will tend to stay together more than seperate unless you overload one, which then you have no choice but to get a second.

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes ...... lumber prices. I cannot afford the coop I want for the flock size I plan on having next year. I was gonna build one smaller coop now with about half the birds I intend to have later. Then build another small coop next spring when I get more chickens.

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you located? If it's a warm climate there are more budget-friendly options available. Open Air coops are less expensive than fully-enclosed coops and hoop coops are usually quite cost-effective -- especially the versions that use tarps rather than metal roofing as covers.

Also, people usually find structures made from pallets and tarp or with mismatched, salvaged roofing and siding more acceptable in rural areas than in town (and some towns have strict aesthetic codes).

Maybe build something now that you can enlarge in the future.

This would be an excellent idea. Planning ahead to expand would make the job much easier.

You could make the fourth wall removable or even put on only three real walls and make the 4th from wire and tarp.

 

[Jeff Cooper]

Is there a reason for 2 small coops instead of one bigger one?

Yes ...... lumber prices. I cannot afford the coop I want for the flock size I plan on having next year. I was gonna build one smaller coop now with about half the birds I intend to have later. Then build another small coop next spring when I get more chickens.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Yes ...... lumber prices. I cannot afford the coop I want for the flock size I plan on having next year. I was gonna build one smaller coop now with about half the birds I intend to have later. Then build another small coop next spring when I get more chickens.

Is it a possibility to build a smaller one now then add on later instead of building another smaller one? My chicks learn from the big girls. They see the big girls going into the coop at night and they follow. I would imagine you may run into the same problem with 2 seperate coops.

 

[Mamatomany123]

So I am in a similar situation, we had a small flock and are new to the backyard chickens. Well long story short we ended up rescuing a flock and now have 15 that are approximately 18-20 weeks old. I built a second coop but they will only go in it during a cold raining day and then all pack in the small one at night. Will they eventually figure out that they have another place to stay?

They know it's there. They just don't want to use it. In my experience, they will stay all go to the same coop every time, no matter how small.it is. I suggest building 1 big coop

 

[21hens-incharge]

Yes ...... lumber prices. I cannot afford the coop I want for the flock size I plan on having next year. I was gonna build one smaller coop now with about half the birds I intend to have later. Then build another small coop next spring when I get more chickens.

I see. Yes lumber is crazy expensive right now.

How big are you intending to go next year?

There may be cost reducing options we can come up with.