What do you think of this chicken house?

[Millie1]

What does anyone think of this? www.chickenhousesni.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=64

They're local-ish, and seem reasonably priced but how do the experts think it looks?

looks similar to mine (although we don't have a run attached)
only issue we've had is that there is a gap when we shut the pophole and mr fox could push it open so we have to wedge it.
also it leaks into the eggs/nesting box if it rains.

Thanks Ouch. The manufacturers said they have felted inside the roof but to give the wood a coat of marine seal in around 9 mths and then we can cut the felt out ...

Re pophole ... see what you mean. Wonder whether there's any means of securing it?

It looks really nice, the wood is deffo decent but roofing felt is awful for red mite...you mustn't get anything with roofing felt!

Can you ask them to do you one without the felt?

They will do it without the felt but they said that when they've been asked to do this in the past, they've had complaints because there've been some drips due to movement of the wood. What do you reckon?

I reckon they should sort out their roof building technique!

How are the roofs made - tongue and groove ought not to move enough to let water in.

will have another look at pics.

Millie it's hard to see but fwiw any chicken house manufacturer who puts roofing felt into their product is being a bit silly, and/or knows not much about chickens (see, who am I to talk!)

Do Forsham not deliver to your neck of the woods?

Or ..... I looooove this www.forshamcottagearks.com/poultry-housing/lenham-503-poultry-house.htm but i'd have to get it without the run cos that's another £350 or so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do I need a covered run? They're going to free-range. I think I'm going to get electric netting anyway just to be extra safe. And they'll be in the house at night.

Oh, someone save me from this indecision!!

Flight - agree! Was shocked that they use felt - and they keep their own chooks - with felt rooves - and say they've never had probs.

There's a place on e-bay - Perthshire Poultry - who I've seen get good reviews, and they use a completely different roof material. cgi.ebay.co.uk/MEDIUM-Top-Quality-Chicken-House-Hen-House-Coop-Coup_W0QQitemZ120534377468QQcmdZViewI temQQptZUKPetSupplies_Poultry?hash=item1c1068a3fc

Am on phone to Forsham now!

those are both beautiful and I do like the corrugated iron roof.

I'd go with the second one tbh. They will be fine with electric fencing as far as I have read, but without it you're probably wise to have a covered run.
I'm planning to let ours out and about when I'm here, but not when I go out...foxes do come in the day as well.

oops!

Flight - thanks! They're calling me back with costs and also say that they use theirs without covered run and with electric netting. Getting excited now!!

What else have you bought - I've done a 'shopping list' thread.

Best go cook dinner or these children won't eat

Thanks for all your help!!

Ooh lovely. btw don't get your accessories from forsham. They are soooo expensive. They make nice quality stuff but they do like to charge for it iykwim

I got our metal tray and drinker from scats, the same ones were in forsham's office for about twice the amount.

But their houses are nice.
Do you have a lot of land then? We're not rural, and have never seen a fox here but you never know.

speak later!

Thanks for the advice Fliight re the drinker etc. Must look closely to see what brand and look elsewhere on-line. They're going to charge £125 delivery but I'm tempted.

Here's my big problem ... I can't find any POL chickens!!!!!!! Want Light Sussex, RIR and a Maran ... have phoned everyone within 50 mile radius listed on Poultry Ireland website. Bummer!

Fliight ... if you're back, are Forsham products flatpacked????????????

have a look on ebay, found a house and coop for 118 free delivery. compared to my old chicken shed, it looks like a positive palace!

Thanks Juris ... shall have a look now. Am nearly talked around Forsham although they are flatpacked.

Has anyone got any experience of Forsham ... what are they like to build (company say easy, of course!) and is the quality what you pay for? TIA

Yes Millie they are easy!

I like doing flatpack stuff though, but even so - I don't think most people would find them too tricky.

They are offering free build atm anyway. I'm actually having a replacement rabbit run from them this morning, because the first one had a couple of issues - not their usual standard imo - and build is included, but I'd rather do it myself and it is very straightforward...I'll check the bits are better finished than the first one and tell them to leave me to it! Plus coating it in preservative before building it is a good move, once you have checked everything is cut right and will fit together.
We have a rabbit hutch from them too which is very good.

You will get panels and screws (which you should grease first or they will rust, just an extra tip) and a fairly good instruction sheet.
You don't have to nail on slats or anything. It's basically like putting the sides of a box together.

Thanks Fliight!

Okay I'm down to this:

www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/The_Long-Legged_Maggie_s_Six_Hen_House.html

or

www.forshamcottagearks.com/poultry-housing/lenham-503-poultry-house.htm

I love the Lenham and I love the heart detail in Maggie's house - and the fact it's ready assembled. Someone, choose for me ... please!

i'm about to spend a small fortune!

I'm local to flytes of fancy and their chicken houses are really well thought through - they're built to take care of chickens properly.

They're really good quality too.

And the long legs on that house would make a huge difference to cleaning the house out. Maggie's house gets my vote.

I like Maggie's too

Seems like a really good website as well.

Which did you go for in the end?

I'm about to put some vinyl on the floor of ours, to make it easier to clean out. I hope this is a good idea and not going to be wrong somehow...I did it with the rabbit hutch and it has been brilliant, stops them getting a saturated floor and much easier to clean, though they use a litter tray for wees anyway.

I was lying awake last night wondering whether chickens do, actually, wee or not.

They don't, do they.

I love the Maggies, chooks do not wee, the white on top of the poo is the wee iyswim.

Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I have continued to procrastinate but AM now going to order the Maggies! I spent yesterday comparing prices of accessories on both websites and FsF was cheaper than Forsham. Just going to ring them to see if they can sort me out with electric fence kit. Am undecided between 25m and 50m. Have good size orchard which they will move to when the grass grows (what's the point? ) but meantime in field . Don't want to overdo it with 50m but 25m (ie. a 20' sq area is pretty big - mind you, when hen house goes in, it'll take up a little room).

What else shall I order? I've read that Aubiose composts down really well. Is that right? If I get a big green compost bin and put it in there, will the rats go in? UGH! Thinking drinker/water (plastic or galv?), diatom, poultry shield, redmite & louse powders, apple cider vinegar. Anything else? I'm soooooo excited!

Think I've found chicks too ... 2 x Red Hampshires which are 8w (breeder will only sell me a pair but he sounds nice) and a Light Sussex around the same age - babies! But I'd like a Bluebell or a Pekin too so should I say to heck with 3 and get 4?

So many questions.

get 4, you know you want 2, I started with 6 and now have 9, aubiose is good if the run is covered, stinks if it get wet, I couldn't get ion wioth it but I know lots of people who think it's the bee's knees. I use woodchip in the run and plain newspaper under roosting bars, shredded paper in the nesting box.
anything else - food he he.
I have an eglu cube so eberything is plastic, much easier to clean.
red mite powder is a muust for a wooden house and smells so very very nice.
You might want to consider gar;lic powder as well, make the poo smell less.

Thanks Diva ... will add garlic powder to list! Yep, food. Was going to use the aubiose in nesting boxes ... is that the only place I'd need to put it in henhouse? NEwspaper sounds good for under roosting bars. Read somewhere that roosting bars should be taken out til chicks are 16 weeks (something to do with bone development) ... where will they sleep then? Just on the floor of house or nesting boxes?

just on the floor, they may need a bit of help getting up and down to a raised house though when they are babies. Here's a link to my second favourite forum in the world omlet full of chook nuts old and new and you should be able to find out anything you ever wanted to know about chooks there.