CHICKEN HOUSES - a few questions - I NEED ANSWERS!!!

[tortoiseSHELL]

1. What house do your chickens live in?
2. How many and what sort of chickens are they?
3. How big is your garden?
4. Is it easily movable?

Thank you!!!

That's my plan.

Hens live in converted outdoor loo with a chicken-wire run that is about 20ft x 25ft.
Usually have between 4 and 20 hens.
Garden is 5 acres but there is grazing/arable land as well.
Pen isn't movable but they do free-range out of the pen. But not at the moment because we have a fox visiting during the day.

Tortoiseshell - I'd go with your ark and move it around to keep the ground fresh and the hens occupied.

Malory - I've never had a cockerel, when we have a full flock they usually appoint a Head Girl to keep them in order. (Actually, the fattest hen appoints herself)

Purely ancedotal useless info, Megalegs no offence intended!

Well, I was brought up with them and still don't know how to deal with a broody hen - it's nature or not at all for me!

Haven't got hens anymore (long painful story, best not to go into it!)

Just read your post Megalegs

Oh thank you so much for all the responses! I'll read them through properly in the morning, but thanks everyone!

Am getting v excited now!

None taken dazzlin.

Good luck with the hens torty. There's nothing more satisfying than breakfast straight from the garden.

You are so right, MegaLegs

Just put photo of Light Sussex hen on my profile. She looks a bit cross & beady-eyed actually, perhaps the fox was behind me?

anybody want spare cockerel - am on north/west yorks border.
We have about 20 atm, but have 14 babies, plus another 2 broodies - aargh, cockerles really need rehoming

She's a beauty DoNB - my Eb would like her.

Loshad - I can send you a recipe for Coq au Vin.

Megalegs!

Thanks, have looked through all the replies now! I think we're looking at something like this - do you think that looks ok? I think we will try to cobble one together (dh is quite handy), so any refinements you would make? Things important for me are an external nest box that dd can get the eggs out of, and a removable side for easy cleaning.

How many hens would you keep in there? And what is 'large fowl?' Are hens 'medium'?

Thanks!!!

Lovely pics everyone btw!

Love the idea of a rooster, but sadly think they are illegal in our town . And can't really justify the extra space needed, although chicks would be lovely.

(Also would feel worried about eating eggs that COULD become chicks...)

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large fowl is like an orpington type , an 'ordinary one' is more like a light sussex or rhode island red and a bantam is a small kind of chicken in it's own right, like a belgian d'anjou ( we have). I would guess three ordinary ones at most and that will give you 3 eggs a day for most of the yaer so probably enough! good luck, let us know how you get on. Hens are lovely!!!!

I thought about 3, (one for each of the children!). DO you think it would matter having the whole of the top covered?

not sure i understand you - do you mean having them under cover the whole time?

Yes, exactly that - feels like they wouldn't get any sunshine, but maybe that's a good thing!

loshad will ask my friend she has hens and we live there! Where are you?

They like sunshine. They lie down and stretsh their wings out and sunbathe.

So would it be better to have a bit of the run not covered?

Ok, so thinking something like the one I linked to, but with a bit of run exposed. What sort of dimensions would you go for? Ideally 3-5 hens, so not huge, and I want to be able to move it fairly easily so I can move it around the garden.

Thanks!

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