Two Coops and two flocks......?

[cherlmerlchick]

Recently we finished our new chicken structure.....it is 2 identical coops with separate runs and outside doors. The 2 flocks are older (3yrs) and younger (3 mos) each w/ a rooster. Of course the older RIR roo is a nightmare, so I intend to swap him out in the spring w/ our new sweeter (hope he stays that way) Orpington roo. For now, I let the flocks free range at separate times. They use the outside doors to return to their coops at night and are getting used to each other w/ wire between their halves of the enclosure.

I have been wondering......when I combine them next spring, will they still go into their respective coops OR will they just end up whereever?? Will they all end up in one coop? I plan to eventually open up the entire enclosure to both coops?

Anyone know or want to venture a guess as to what they will do? Since raising chickens these last 3 yrs, I am constantly amazed at how smart they are. Hopefully things will go well next spring. Here is a picture to help. Thanks

Cherl

 

[sourland]

Initially they will probably return to their 'home' coops. This is not a bad idea as they are reworking the pecking order - being locked in the same coop at night until things have been worked out might be a disaster. Eventually once they have become one flock you can convince them to use one coop by closing off the other.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

They will continue to go to their home coops as long as they are accesable. I have 3 ajoining pens and if they are all open at sundown the birds all go to their own pens. Sometimes a young pullet or rooster may change pens for an unknown reason.

 

[thomasboyle]

My dad raised chickens for a living, and they had 4 coops for thousands of chickens. He told me that sometimes they would go out, and a coop would be stuffed full of chickens to the point they were suffocating, and the coop next to it would be empty. Seems they go where ever they want to go! I have a coop for ducks and one for chickens attached to the same run, and they figured it out, and each sleep in the proper coop.

 

[chfite]

I had separate coops and runs for a while, before combining flocks. In a couple of days, they all had moved into one coop. I had to add roost space, because the new chickens were sleeping on the floor.

Chris

 

[JenifferHartman]

I'm kind of dealing with the same thing. We just finished our new coop and run

The old one is smaller and now houses our meaties. My flock will be cooped for a couple of weeks until they get acclimated to their new home. I'm a little worried about them reverting back to the old coop when I start letting them free range. We have a few hens in our meatie flock I wanted to integrate into our main flock and see if we might get bigger eggs out of them so they will be in the smaller one until they are big enough to defend themselves when I attempt to integrate.