Separate winter and summer coops?

[feral_friend]

I'm planning on starting a rotational grazing system with my chickens and am trying to figure out a coop setup for about 50 layers. I live in Southern Vermont, zone 5b, so I need to have a good cold weather setup but also want to be able to move them frequently during the warmer months.

I'm wondering if it would work to have a permanent winter coop and run for when I don't have them in rotation plus a separate mobile coop? Id like to have a mobile coop and electric fencing that's light and easy to move and don't want to have to keep dragging around a winterized coop for that many birds!

Will they adjust to using a different coop in winter vs the growing season? Or am I better off building a single mobile winterized coop? Thanks!

 

[StinkyAcres]

Hello fellow Vermonter! If you are able to make the mobile coop big enough I say go for it! They should have little problem being moved between the coops. I have a summer and winter area for my ducks. Having multiple coops sure is nice!

Your mobile summer coop will need to have about 200 square feet of floor space, 50 square feet of ventilation, and 50 linear feet of roost space. The winter coop should ideally be even bigger since the chickens will spend more time indoors.