What breeds should I add to my mixed flock

[MartinsPoultry]

English Orpington, light brahma, Australorp

 

[lazy gardener]

Ok separate but also part of the reason for starting this thread:
One of my two EE girls stopped laying end of October after laying 6-7/week since she started in August. Her comb is pale pink and neck feathers have been a little sparse but otherwise doesn’t seem too featherbare. You guys think she will resume lay in the spring or she is probably done prematurely?

She will most likely start laying sometime between now and April.

Picture is 1000 words.
Coop is a modified Purina and the run is my own design.
Enough space, right?

View attachment 1222512 View attachment 1222513 View attachment 1222517 View attachment 1222518

I see some serious issues with the coop pictured. Without going back to read your initial post... so I don't remember how many birds you have, or what you are planning to add. BUT, absolute minimal amount of space is 4 s.f./bird in the coop. More recommended in cold winter weather. A short coop does not allow for adequate ventilation, especially in frigid weather. It also does not allow for adequate bedding, which acts as a bit of a heat sink, and it soaks up some of the poo moisture. Your nest boxes are not tall enough IMO. You are probably aware that chickens stand up when they lay an egg. Also, I see chicken wire employed. Not at all predator proof. I did not look closely enough at your run, but if that is also chicken wire, you've got serious predator issues, especially if you are using the run to expand your coop space.

Some people fixate on coop size in isolation. Chickens don’t see it that way. They don’t care if space is in the coop, coop plus run, or some other variation as long as it is available when they need it. What is important is your space system and how you manage it, not the size of an isolated component.

RR, I see what you are saying. However... If you live in the north, snow country... days on end with temps below 0*F, you HAVE to look at the coop as a stand alone feature. It matters not what the run is like when the weather is below 0*F.

Several weeks ago, I was looking at the very undesireable decision of having to cull my avatar roo. By the numbers, my coop is large enough to carry my flock through the winter. But, Jack was driving Goliath out of the coop into sub zero weather. Since Jack is now 4 years old, and seems to be missing the mark, his position in the flock is tenuous at best. I am hoping to get yet one more breeding season out of him. So... Goliath is the chosen replacement. I was faced with the possibility of needing to cull Jack so that Goliath did not suffer frost bite to his feet. I am thankful, and blessed that for now, the boys seem to have come to an understanding. Goliath and Jack are again sharing coop space without any issues that I can see.

If my coop were smaller, I can see that it would not be possible to carry both boys through the winter, or even the number of hens I now have. As it is, the current space requires more intervention to manage the manure load.

 

[DrFeathers]

I think you didn’t read enough of the previous posts LG. The only thing chicken wire is a “screen door” inside one half of the cleanout door we leave open on hot afternoons to improve ventilation. I was just showing the roost arrangement with that pic. The entire thing is essentially a multi compartment coop in winter with a roof over the run and the hardware cloth covered in heavy plastic sheathing. It is predator proof and I live in a suburban area with a 6’ high fence. The only thing in my yard is fat rabbits that tunnel in and a squirrel that taunts my dog from the power lines, but the hardware cloth is buried a foot anyway.

We have established that I will need to add a separate grow out pen and/or cull back down to 6 when I add to my flock.

Thanks all for the input. Think I am good now.

She will most likely start laying sometime between now and April.



I see some serious issues with the coop pictured. Without going back to read your initial post... so I don't remember how many birds you have, or what you are planning to add. BUT, absolute minimal amount of space is 4 s.f./bird in the coop. More recommended in cold winter weather. A short coop does not allow for adequate ventilation, especially in frigid weather. It also does not allow for adequate bedding, which acts as a bit of a heat sink, and it soaks up some of the poo moisture. Your nest boxes are not tall enough IMO. You are probably aware that chickens stand up when they lay an egg. Also, I see chicken wire employed. Not at all predator proof. I did not look closely enough at your run, but if that is also chicken wire, you've got serious predator issues, especially if you are using the run to expand your coop space.



RR, I see what you are saying. However... If you live in the north, snow country... days on end with temps below 0*F, you HAVE to look at the coop as a stand alone feature. It matters not what the run is like when the weather is below 0*F.

Several weeks ago, I was looking at the very undesireable decision of having to cull my avatar roo. By the numbers, my coop is large enough to carry my flock through the winter. But, Jack was driving Goliath out of the coop into sub zero weather. Since Jack is now 4 years old, and seems to be missing the mark, his position in the flock is tenuous at best. I am hoping to get yet one more breeding season out of him. So... Goliath is the chosen replacement. I was faced with the possibility of needing to cull Jack so that Goliath did not suffer frost bite to his feet. I am thankful, and blessed that for now, the boys seem to have come to an understanding. Goliath and Jack are again sharing coop space without any issues that I can see.

If my coop were smaller, I can see that it would not be possible to carry both boys through the winter, or even the number of hens I now have. As it is, the current space requires more intervention to manage the manure load.

 

[lazy gardener]

My apology.

 

[DrFeathers]

My apology.

Sorry, didn’t mean that as a shut down - meant more that all seem in agreement that the rotation would be good if I had enough space to accommodate it but I do not currently so either need more space or fewer chooks at a time. Question definitely answered, had to hear something I didn’t really want to hear a few times before I was ready to believe it

Really: thanks to all for the guidance. Sincerely appreciate it!

 

[DrFeathers]

Ok wait I know I said I was done but now - thinking to next summer and how a modification could be done cheaply/easily - if I keep same roof and framing but just drop floor down to ground level and put up new siding - would become 4x4x6’ tall instead of a 4x4x4 box hanging 2’ up in the air - could reuse all old hardware so would just cost for new siding and the screws. If I precut the siding could do the install in a day and just let the girls out to free-range during construction. Adding an annex run area under the shade tree with a pop door between that and the main run would be easy enough and could put the small temporary grow out coop (playhouse) off the annex, also under the tree and off remaining lawn area.

Would this make it big enough to grow out 3 chicks per spring and house 9 hens once integrated and laying? Or still too cramped? Leaving the playhouse in place attached to the annex would also give me a quarantine area if needed in future.

 

[aart]

Making it taller doesn't change the floor space,
height helps for ventilation but not crowding so much.
Quarantine needs to be 100-300 feet away from other birds...
...or do you mean separation for integration?

 

[DrFeathers]

Ok so 1 vote for not worth the effort of making it taller at this point. Roger, thanks.

But yes I meant the annex as separation when needed and increased total run size.

True quarantine would have to be in a dog kennel in the garage - with size and layout of my yard there is not another location outside of the General area where coop already is that is far enough from property lines to meet local ordinance.