The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: oilydan on January 06, 2016, 05:05:22 pm
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Hi all.
We moved back to the UK a year ago and in the Spring got ourselves a coop and a small flock of 6 ex-batts free roaming in our 1500 sqM fenced orchard.
We have them in a 154 x 123 cm coop designed for 'comfortably housing 6 chickens' overnight with a home-made automatic door (I'm chuffed with myself for designing/making that!). It has 2 roosts like a 2 step ladder running the 154cm front to back so a total of about 3m of roosting space, not that they use it. It has 3 nest boxes.
Having been bitten (pecked?) by the bug the wife now wants more birds.
Is it feasible to get another coop of roughly the same dimensions to place in the orchard? Would the birds naturally divide themselves between them or would they all end up overcrowded in one coop? Would any division cause some playground fighting while out roaming during the day?
Or should we get one single larger coop?
The additional birds would not be ex-batt, maybe 2 each of 3 different breeds.
No cockerels!
Appreciate any insight or advice...
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I would have 1 pen and get stock altogether 6 weeks old. They would adapt faster and be very tame.
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Can you not have a cockerel because of neighbours? They do sort out any scrapping between the girls!
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Ex-batts can be very aggressive, in poor health due to stress and shouldn't be mixed with unvaccinated birds. I'd certainly keep any incoming birds quarantined for a minimum of three weeks
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The ex-batts are not really ex-batts anymore, they are friendly, healthy, free-rangers that we have had for a year.
I'm not having a cockerel because I used to live in a very local area of Dubai where 4am crowing tortured me for 2 years.
It is not an option to get all together at 6 weeks old as we already have the flock of 6 older birds.
Thanks for your input.
i see that, on another tread on the subject, it was advised that the roosting arrangements - to a certain extent - depend on which coop they are first introduced into, although some cant seem to make their minds up and choose whichever suits their fancy at that time.
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You will need to introduce slowly, so will need another coop and run anyway. At the point of introduction a new coop for all is going to create less problems, but the pullets should not be added to the existing flock until they are able to defend themselves, so 26 old weeks earliest.
There is a risk when mixing immunised and non-immunised birds, but the problems seem to occur when immunised are mixed non-immunised Pedigrees- the stress of the move causes the viruses they are carrying to flare up and spread. Whereas the other way, Pedigrees to immunised Hybrids, the Pedigrees carry no viruses that can flare up and anyway the Hybrids will be immunised against them. The reason Pedigrees are not immunised is three fold- they are reared in small numbers in good healthy conditions so carry little risk of disease; the virus programme is usually sold in short shelf-life batches to suit 1000 birds, so most would be expensive wastage; egg quality and long term health can be compromised -severely in some cases with death resulting from stress.
Personally I would run two completely separated flocks ensuring there is no way they can get close enough to each other to spread any virus. So that would be two coops and two separate fox proof enclosures.
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We too got one batch of hens first and another later (they all free range).
Each batch got their own coop, and the new batch was confined to a separate run for a while so they could see each other. In the end the introduction was mostly peaceful as there is a lot of space for everyone to get out of each other's way.
They initially stuck to their original groups but started mingling after (quite a) while and sorted out their own preferred sleeping arrangements.
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Definitely a second coop I would say, to give both groups time and security with known company, til they choose to rearrange themselves.
Also gives you future options for broody hen, injured/sick stock or more new birds to be isolated safely. Or alternating repairs or creosote treatment for red mite which takes time to dry.
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I would build a bigger house which will take all of them and put the new birds in that. You will probably find that after a while they will all flock up and choose one house, even if they have to jam themselves in. Hopefully it will be the bigger one. You can always transfer the door etc. to it later.
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I dont think that you could be sure that introducing a pure breed would mean that they are not carrying anything. (Ask me how I know ;) )
Re the mixing - Ex bats tend to quite eherm "assertive" in their dealings with other breeds and the saying birds of a feather flock together can be very true with chickens. So, If you want a nice quiet carry on with happy healthy, stress free hens I would either chose some attractive good laying hybrids such as bluebells or amber star or some large fowl that can hold their own with the ex bats such as sussex perhaps or blackrock for instance.
I would avoid any gentle, docile breeds or bantams so not, silkies, pekins, croad langshan, cochin, orpington as they are likely to get bullied despite their size.
And re the two coops idea ... you will probably find the majority opt for what they see as the best coop which will either be because its familiar, or because their is safety in numbers and everyone else seems to be in there. The ones that opt for the alternative will either be the most dominant, independent hen who doesn't want to slum it with the social climbers or the lowest ranking "cinderella" hens or a combination of both. You may also find the odd hen that decides to have a sleep over at the other place fro time to time.
You will probably find it easier to have one coop to maintain but the hens will probably prefer the option to swap around. If you invest in a modest coop for the introductory period ( which could take all summer) then you can always use it for quarantine, broody hens, poorly hens in the future or for those who really dont get on with everyone else.
HTH