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Chicken keepers

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Original poster

Talk to me about chickens...

23 replies

SoupDragon · 09/03/2009 09:18

I am toying with the idea of chickens as the local battery hen trust (or whatever it's called) rehoming day is due in April sometime.

An Eglu thingy is out of the question as it's too small and the cube one if hideous. I want a large run - they can't be free range because of the foxes.

I'm worried about foxes and also rats as there have been Unidentified Rodents in the compost bin. How would I make an ordinary run fox and rodent proof? would I have to put concrete foundations round the coop/run or bury chainlink fencing? My parents had the badger set in their garden fenced in with chainlink like this to keep it contained.

I like the look of this but is it OKm for 3 chickens to be kept in all the time? As they'll be ex-batts I'm sure it will seem like heaven but should I go for a larger one like this...? Taking up space in the garden isn't an issue.

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/03/2009 09:20

I'm quite tempted by the Build it yourself option. They could have window boxes and a chimney and a pretty front door...

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/03/2009 09:27

Or do I get a small coop and build a big run myself...?

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LilyBolero · 09/03/2009 09:32

It's virtually impossible to fox-proof a garden unfortunately - I have seen them climb an 8 ft fence. Which means you would need a covered run. If you would like to look at my chicken blog, there's lots on there about how we built our chicken houses www.hensandeggs.blogspot.com

Ours are about12'x3' (3' of that length is the house), and sit on paving slabs, so nothing can dig under. Also makes them much easier to clean.

I wouldn't get a house off ebay if I were you - I've read people's reviews that say they tend to be a bit flimsy. Also, those ones have felt roofs which harbour redmite, which can be a nightmare.

Chicken sites I like are;

Flytes of Fancy
Forsham
and this is what I would go for if I was starting again

LilyBolero · 09/03/2009 09:34

Bear in mind that manufacturers always seem to over-estimate how many chickens you can fit in a coop. So if they say 6, think 3 or 4. The chickens are surprisingly big and once you get them in they look surprisingly crowded.

LilyBolero · 09/03/2009 09:35

(On the blog, if you go back to 2007 there's stuff about the original coop, the new one is on the most recent page).

bramblebooks · 09/03/2009 09:43

There are a few posters here who have recently adopted ex batts and homed them in eglus very successfully - look back through the chicken keepers threads. Eglus don't have any problems with red mite and are fox proof with the doors closed.

I am biased, mine is snug and pretty! Mind you, my cube arrives this week too - I'll let you know the verdict on that (it's got an extended run). My girls do free range whilst I'm out gardening - for fox reasons too. The garden's never looked better as I'm out there loads with them!

For interest's sake it might be worth looking at the forums on omlet, as there is lots of info about homing ex batts and the issues people have faced and how they've dealt with them.

Keep us up to date with what you do

Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/03/2009 09:47

Thanks I didn't know about the felt (actually, I did see it mentioned somewhere now I think of it) but I've got a good idea of shapes from Ebay. I am now erring towards self build [snort] so they can have a small coop and a decent sized run.

I know I can't fox-proof the garden as it is impossible to fence it all securely anyway. also, I think there's a fox actually living at the end of our garden (and a very attractive looking fox it is too!) The run would have to be very fox proof instead.

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/03/2009 09:48

Eglus are ugly though And very expensive.

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LilyBolero · 09/03/2009 09:50

The ones we built have been fine SD and we get a LOT of foxes!

Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/03/2009 09:54

I want one of these on tall legs!

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Blottedcopybook · 09/03/2009 10:52

I'm seriously toying with a cube even though they're hideous and ridiculously priced. My hens have absolutely trashed my garden over the last few weeks because of the snow, and I'm about to bin the second henhouse in two years because the wood just does not agree with the clay mud in my garden

I love the forsham arks though - so beautiful and sturdy.

bramblebooks · 09/03/2009 11:35

blotted, I'll let you know how I get on - I think it's being delivered on Weds. Not sure how long it'll take me to put together ... There's a thread on omlet at present talking about wooden hen / duck houses and their 'longevity'.

There are some gorgeous wooden houses out there though

bramblebooks · 09/03/2009 11:37

soup - that is a gorgeous looking hen house. You could look at aviaries4u, who build the most lovely walk in runs - then you'd be sorted

Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/03/2009 13:18

My dad will build me an aviary. He doesn't know it yet but he will The garden isn't level so I think it will need to be custom built. Maybe I can get him to build a low wall to put the cage part on... that'll stop burrowing.

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Original poster
SoupDragon · 09/03/2009 13:26

I guess they'd be happy with the house and 6ft run to start with, given that I'm planning on ex battery hens.

A friend has the cube and an aviary but it kind of sticks out in her garden. My garden is enormous and this will slot nicely in behind the playhouse....

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paranoidmother · 09/03/2009 13:32

I"d recommend Forsham Runs, we have 4 large ones and 2 small runs with a couple of extended runs on it.

If you can go for the chickens house to be up high it's easier to clean and also the foxes can't get to them.

Good luck. Chickens are great

LilyBolero · 09/03/2009 22:55

That looks a really nice coop/run. But if you're getting 3, I'd really recommend the 9ft run, 6 ft will look cramped!

If you just put it on paving slabs, the foxes can't get in, and you don't need to concrete it in, or build anything. I then put easibed or aubiose down as a scratch base. This has a few advantages apart from being fox proof - firstly, the scratching on the slabs keeps their claws short, and it prevents any build up of parasites in the ground (ground can become 'fowl sick'), as you can just hose them down every so often. They also smell much less than being straight on the earth, and you can always let them out into the garden if you're there.

Original poster
SoupDragon · 10/03/2009 07:38

I was actually planning on building a much bigger run myself with my dad. The small run would only be to start with and would be perfect whilst they get used to not being in a cage (I think!).

A problem with slabs is that the ground isn't level - it slopes down to the house and down to the side with a few undulation. I'd have to ask my dad consider the possibilities.

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LittleB · 10/03/2009 20:12

I brought a coop from e-bay, its pretty solid and has a 10yr guarantee, I loved the flytesofancy ones but too expensive for me. We built our own run, its 6ft high, about 15ft long and 5ft wide, for 4 chickens, so they have plenty of room. Full height has advantages in being easy to clear out and me and dd hang around in there feeding and stroking the chickens! I have log rolls around the edge of mine and a skirt of chicken wire around the bottom, this might work for you on a slope, my friend who keeps his chickens on his alotment has buried his wire around the run, about a foot into the ground. This wouldn't stop rats, but raising your chicken house up is supposed to help prevent rats hiding under it. My house is 3 bricks high, which also gives the chickens somewhere to shelter when its raining, they also have a covered shelter where I put their food, which is just marine ply on breeze blocks. Once mine had settled in I do let them out to free range in the garden while I'm out there gardening, they are good at picking of bugs etc, but I have to watch them with the flowers!

Original poster
SoupDragon · 13/03/2009 12:39

I'm still dithering

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loggedout · 14/03/2009 10:43

I used old shed (second hand) and home-made run which we move every week or two using egyptian method (round rolling logs). Run has netting underneath too.

MarmadukeScarlet · 14/03/2009 11:16

I found Flyte so Fancy really helpful, I have a Maggies dozen house and their large run (9x15) with 9 chooks. I asked them to send it with two doors which the did, so one door opens out onto a 25x 15 electric fence pen - although they are often out and about in the paddock.

The second ebay link you did for the larger house says suitable for 9 birds - not 9 hapy birds imho. It may have enough perch space (9ins per bird) but the run is too small. Flytes normally give good info on how many birds per house/run.

I live in a very rural area and have an electric fence on the outdoor area, but have seen no fox activity as yet I do have 2 fierce shetlands that chase the neighbours cats on guard though!

Good luck with your choice. My only essential is that the cleaning out access needs to be big enough and I like to be able to sweep and wash mine so I don't like a 'lip' iyswim also I wish I had varnished/sealed the inside of mine to make it easier to clean.

shhhh · 09/04/2009 15:09

soupy did you get sorted in the end..?

Have been reading this as initially I wanted chickens (but dh says no..) BUT just heard my sister is moving to scotland and is keen on getting chickens....im being a good baby sister and gathering info for her.....

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