Going to run two coops, would like some advice please

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wendywoggles

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Hi,
We have 7 LF chooks in one coop and although we could pack another 1 bird in it would be a tight fit and not comfortable if we were to ever have another summer. It's supposed to hold 6-10 :-)06

Anyway we do have another coop of the same size. Our plan is to get a LF Welsummer Cockerel and 2 more LF wives for him making our flock up to 10. After quarentine and introduction they are going to have to use the 2 coops, will this cause any problems and is 9 wives about right? Also my littlest chook is a 19 week old Speckled Sussex not yet laying, will he give her any 'grief' :o or leave her alone for now?

Thanx WW
 
i cant really answer about 1 male and 9 hens but the two coops for that amount of birds would be fine , do you let them go in by themsleves each night or do you put them in if they go on thier own then i would just let them sleep in whatever coop them like no matter how many birds are in that coop .
 
We don't have the second lot of birds yet so only the one coop open, but yes they put them-selves away each night. Good little girls that they are. So when I've got both lots of chooks and 2 coops open I'll let them sort them-selves out then. I'm guessing though that during the winter I'll need to do a bit of nocturnal shuffling so there's enough birds in each coop to keep them warm?
 
The ratio is fine as long as he is reasonably active.... He will be a happy lad :-)

Sometimes they will favour one coop over another but with luck you'll get a bit of a spread. They usually settle into a routine so if you put a few in the second coop by hand for a week, they will probably start calling that home!
 
Agree. Let them sort themselves out & don't worry about cold as if one sleeps on it's own it will be OK.

Male/female ratio is fine. Your male will be very interested in your Sussex pullet but by the time they are integrated, she will be old enough to cope.
 
It would be best to separate/quarantine the new ones for a couple of weeks, maybe by dividing the run with netting if you can't remove them completely from the old ones. Then they will go in one of the coops and the old ones in the other so there will be no problems there, and they'll all get used to seeing each other before you put them together. People usually put the new ones in the same coopp with the old ones after dark when they're ready to integrate but as they won't all fit into one coop I'm not sure how you could best go about this. Any ideas anyone?
 
As Marigold says, it's always best to keep new birds seperate for a couple of weeks to make sure the new birds don't bring any infections with them and you have time to inspect them for lice etc. Integrating them can be difficult but not always but you need to be prepared to separate them again if they fight too much.
 
We are planning for when it gets very cold. Our coops are a bit empty with 6 in 10 bird units I have built (if I had bought them they would be 16 bird units) and we really need to cram as many on the perches as possible to keep each other warm. We might integrate two into one. In Summer the opposite applies. So I think WW it may be an idea to block access to one coop on very cold nights. To get them used to both coops you could perhaps block them alternately. That may keep red mite down as well if you have any.
 
Chrismahon, and every-one, thankx for answering. I don't think 10 will fit in there though unless 3 sleep in the nest boxes which we don't really want to encourage. Anyway we're now thinking it may be a good idea to wait till next year before we get the new hens and cockerel. BUT we are going to the National Show in November so that may change again :-))
 
Hi Ww. Best time to buy pedigrees is after their first Winter -the good ones will have come through well, fully feathered and strong. We're at the show as well. Might be tempted by a Trans------ (can't spell it) Naked Neck, although Rosie can't stand them.
 
Can't say I'm a fan of the naked necks either. They look like they've just cheated the hangman haha. My opinion only.
 
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