Used Omlet outdoor rabbit run Width 2.2m Height 2.05m Length 3.1m vgc.

[chicken bark]

I've been free ranging my now 16-18 week old chickens with my big girls for the last couple of days. No problems thankfully (touch wood) as they have been in a run inside the larger pen since they were 5 and a half weeks old.

 

Tonight just to make certain they had survived the day unscathed I looked in their coop when shutting them in for the night and noticed an inter loper. Lily has obviously decided that the younger girls house looks more interesting and so has joined them in there.

 

Typically this was when I was considering 'shutting down' the younger girls house (so I can use it for a broody in the Spring) and move them all into the big girls house.

 

On the plus side they must get on (unless the younger girls are too scared to say anything to Lily )

[mags]

my silkie cross Darth does that and i have ended up with them all in the same eglu alot quicker than i expected .

Looks like i have a empty eglu

 

mags

[figarogir1]

I had 5 in the eglu and 3 in the cube until this weekend when I took the eglu out and made them all go in the big house! They have no sense

[cooker]

Aren't chickens mad! we have two houses and each chicken has its favourite to lay/sleep in (not always the same house for each!) Most of the time our girls play 'how many chickens can you sleep in the nest box?' most has been 6..the last one in only gets to balence on the edge...but it still counts!!!...

We have two houses...until recently 6 chickens slept in one and none in the other..thats gratitude for you!

Rachel

[migsy]

We have two houses...until recently 6 chickens slept in one and none in the other..thats gratitude for you!

Rachel

Same here. I have one empty eglu and one very full one in the WIR. 6 in the none in the Although when I forgot to open the the other night 3 of them went in the

 

Crazy chooks!

[chicken bark]

Well they all seemed happy again this morning.

 

I'm intrigued to see what musical chairs will happen tonight.

[chicken bark]

Well Lily was in there with them again tonight. I think she must like the higher perch.

 

I'll let her do it for now and then in a few nights I'll think more about moving them into the one house. It might make it easier over the winter only having one house to clean out.

 

My only concern about doing this is that they'll end up with 20cm of perch space each. That's a little snugger than I would like hence the hesitation on my part. Anyone got an opinion on this?

 

I could just let them carry on as they are and see what happens in the new year. I'd like the one house free for a broody then but if one doesn't go broody it is irrelevant.

[mags]

well i was worried about mixing my little Darth as she is much smaller than the big girls but she is big in personality!

 

This is the second time she has just moved in with big girls and they are all doing well

 

mags

[beach chick]

as far as I know, they seem quite happy to sleep snuggled up, and with winter coming they will be very cosy all together. there might be a concern if there is not enough nest box space for them to lay when they want to, and I know there is some kind of formula (4 chooks to 1 nest box?).

but the general advice is that sleeping space can be tight, so long as there is plenty of run space per chook (and you sort the nest box issue).

[chicken bark]

Thanks beach chick. They will have access to 2 nest boxes and of my 9 hens one will never lay, one has stopped laying for the Winter, and the three younger ones have not started yet so I think that will be fine.

 

As for run space - there isn't one really. I just have a fenced off area 18m x 18m which they are all enjoying.

 

I think I will try putting them all in the same house tonight. Decision made.

 

Mags - I sometimes wonder if animals know what size they are. My parents had a small/medium sized dog that was convinced it was a Doberman and kept wanting to play with the big boys in the park.

 

What I have noticed is that the younger girls seem to have grown a lot over the last few days. The Cuckoo Marans is now bigger than my Amber Star. It is so lovely seeing them grow up.

[chicken bark]

Well they are all officially sharing one house now. I moved them in together last night and all was well this morning.