Where to place the coop

[That_Chick]

Hello. I started with chickens last year, and am really enjoying them. My chickens made it through the winter, and now we now have some new chicks to add to the flock for this year. I built a 4'x8'x4' coop that has worked well for this winter, but it needs to be moved as I am going to be having too many chickens for the small space. It needs to be in a larger area. I have a little barn (two stalls) where goats will be living in a few weeks. I tried moving the chickens into the barn, and after I moved feed, water, and then the nest boxes to the barn, and the hens are still laying in the coop, so since they like it, and since it is easy to get the eggs out of it, I think I'll keep it. Just don't know if it should be right next to the barn, or out away from the barn, and why.
Thanks. It is nice to find a group like this. I am looking forward to more chickens this year since mine all did so well last year, and we are enjoying eggs daily.

 

[lorihadams]

Well,

, don't kill me but this looks like the perfect opportunity to get more chickens!

You could move the existing flock into the barn and then use the smaller coop for a different breed and keep them fenced in away from the others so that you have a pure breeding line. That opens up the option to sell fertile eggs and chicks later down the road. Since you already have the coop all you would have to do is construct a run around it for the new breed.

The old flock will eventually learn to lay in the barn if that is all they have access to for a few days. Maybe you need to lock them in the barn and not allow them to range for a few days so they only have that area to lay in. I had to do that with my new girls a couple years ago....they wanted to lay all over the yard. After locking them in the coop/run for 3 days they were better about laying in the coop.