Advice on extending my coop/run.

wickedwings · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:46 pm

Hi All,
I've been bitten by the bug, go-on you all knew it would happen, I've/we've started acquiring more chooks and I need to extend their house. I need to increase the run space (no big deal) and I need extra room for perches/roosts. I can rework the existing coop to accommodate more roosts or I can extend the run and build a second shelter/coop with roosts at the other end.

My questions:
If I build a second coop at the end of a common run will some of the birds use it? Say perhaps the new girls when I throw them all in together because the existing girls are firmly entrenched on their roost already, even though there is still room for a few chooks on the existing roost. Or will they automatically all try and roost together? What about if I lock the new girls in the second coop for a few days and then let them mingle with the general population?

If I go with the idea of a second coop at the end of a common run I suppose I should put nest boxes in that end as well?

Ahh, so many poultry permutations, it's doing my head in.

purefeather · **Joined:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:36 pm **Posts:** 736

G'day Wickedwings person, do you have roosters, they usually sort out flock problems. If not then feathers will fly until the girls sort out the pecking order, after a day or so. As K'ung Fu tsze said suck it and see.

wickedwings · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:06 pm

We had a rooster for a while but he started getting a bit aggressive so we had to let him go to a new home, I'm hoping we might get a nice roo out of the Plymouth Rock eggs we've just hatched. So I gather from your post I should just make a bit more roosting space in the existing setup and let them sort it out?

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Hello, wickedwings,

Could you possibly post a photo of your existing coop and run, so people can visualise it and help you nut out your extension and renovation dilemmas and offer solutions? We don't want you doing your head in, as that would be rather messy and poor Mrs. wickedwings would have to clean up

wickedwings · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:37 pm

Yeah, no sympathy from Mrs wickedwings, she would just shake her head and tell me it serves me right.

There are some photos of the current house in this thread viewtopic.php?f=43&t=8273&start=10 on page two. The house is only slightly modified/completed from what is shown.

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Very nice chookie abode.

If that big tree isn't in the way, perhaps you could remove the food storage area (do you have problems with wee beasties?) and extend the coop forward? Also move the swing set away from the run and make the run bigger. Maybe Blackie didn't like the kiddies playing on the swing? Roosters are very territorial.

johs · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2011 2:03 pm

Uh Yes. I remember your coop, nice storage.

Perhaps you could enclose more of your house/run for roosting room, then you would only need a bigger run.

It takes very little to become addicted doesn't it.

I borrowed a rooster from a friend. He's staying! :-D

Doesn't crow much, does his best to keep the girls in line, very well behaved and he's puuuurdy.

I know there are good ones out there.

If you don't keep the white rocks you'll have to send them my way. :-D

wickedwings · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2011 5:18 pm

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I think I might extend the run to the right along the fence and encompassing a couple of plants/trees, and if I rearrange the roosts I think I can squeeze everybody in.

johs, if we don't keep the white ones I will send them your way.

Hens and Hobbits · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:38 pm

Green with envy! Great set up. Good luck with the renovations and extensions and your growing chook family!

A word of advice, be very careful as to the position of your children's swing set. Just look what happened to ours.

wickedwings · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:45 pm

Unfortunately there is only one place left to put it, right there, I'm afraid the tree will just have to take its' chances.

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