What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[quickcluck]

Minor disaster at bedtime tonight.

 

Usually 11 girls in the and the 2 new girls in the and Maisie on her perch, we put her in the cube later. All in a secure WIR.

 

Tonight the 2 newbies had muscled their way into the cube... Maisie ws on her perch and poor Penny in the overflow egg laying wooden house!!!

 

Not good, we put the 2 newbies back in their eglu and the other 2 in the cube = 14 disgruntled girls!!!!

 

Any advice as we can't do this every night

 

We dont leave maisie out on her perch as she is on her own, she hates going to bed. Should we leave her out on her own? Should Penny stay in the wooden house?

 

Help!!!

[Olly]

Is 14 really too many for the Cube - couldn't they all sleep together? I know it's supposed to house 10 maximum, but I also know how they like to squish in together. Sorry, no other brainwaves - short of putting the Eglu hens away early so they can't sneak into the Cube, or something like that.

[Egluntyne]

I have had 14 in my cube in the past.

 

I had an extra Eglu in the WIR for the overflow, but they all wanted to bunk up together. I found the Eglu was just being used for the very occasional egg laying - not enough to justify its staying - so I dismantled it.

[Lydia]

Yes I agree I'd just let them get on with it and they'll sort themselves out. We too used to keep the spare eglu in the run but it was never used for laying or sleeping in and just got pooped on so we took it out.

[quickcluck]

Thanks guys, will let them get on with it then...

 

Any Advice on Maisie who prefers to roost outside? I worry that she is on her own so will get cold, so we put her away too!