chooklady Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I am a little confused about numbers of chickens and the size of your garden. I was thinking about a cube but if it's not recommended that you don't have more than 3 chickens I might aswell buy an eglu instead. Does anybody know what the defination of a small/medium/large garden is? My garden is about 60 feet by 40 feet, how many chickens would you recommend? They will only be able to free range under supervision as we do have a fox problem. Any info really appreciated. Nicola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phosphorus Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Not sure where you have got the 3 chicken bit from. The Cube can house 10 chickens per Omlet, although how many you have is really dependent on whether you have the standard run etc. We have our own purpose built walk in run, 10ft x 13 ft with a Cube in it. The chickens stay in there unless they are let out to free range under supervision - which during the week can be as little as an hour a day At the weekend when we are around they get a lot longer. They don't have access to the whole garden though - only an area netted off with 25m Omlet netting. We have 7 chooks in that set up which seems to work okay at present. I would always recommend the Cube, the Eglu seems okay to start with but people do tend to want more chickens and then move up to the Cube within a short period (the Eglu is really only okay for 3 chooks - maybe that is what you were thinking of ) Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel F Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Our garden sounds similar in size... We have three chickens in an eglu with a 1m conversion extention-thingy... We could only let the chooks out into the garden when we were out with them, so we then purchase 25m of netting from the Omlet shop. This means that they get more playtime every day without me having to physically be in the garden. And it keeps them off the vegetable patch and soft fruits (in theory!!) It's a bit of a personal thing, but I wouldnt want any more in the bit of the garden we have allocated to chickens... But I know of other Omleteers who are happy for their chooks to free-range anywhere in their garden, whereas we are not... Three in an eglu is just right for us. Good luck. Rachel F. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 We have 6 in a cube in a run which is 12 feet by 8 feet. When we're at home they have a further 12 ' X 12' within the omlet netting. The cube would easily fit 10 chickens inside, it's the run you have to watch out for space wise. Alot of the information can be confusing - don't worry too much! Sheila Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbey Road Girl Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Your garden is huge compared to mine, Nicola. I have four hens living happily in a Cube with the standard run and my garden is only 17' x 35'. The Cube coop would easily hold ten hens, but ten hens might be cramped in the standard run plus extension which you would definately need. There is enough room in my garden to add the extension but I thought it would be good to see how things went before I ordered it It seems to me that giving them extra space in the run would only do just that. The problem with a permanently sited run that isn't a walk-in run, is that it's a limited environment which the hens will scratch to smithereens! Therefore, I've decided that for me it's more important to have the space outside the run and not in it. I love my Cube and my flock of four! Happy henning!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phosphorus Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 The problem with a permanently sited run that isn't a walk-in run, is that it's a limited environment which the hens will scratch to smithereens! Therefore, I've decided that for me it's more important to have the space outside the run and not in it. Not if you put slabs down and use aubiose or hemcore on top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbey Road Girl Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 The problem with a permanently sited run that isn't a walk-in run, is that it's a limited environment which the hens will scratch to smithereens! Therefore, I've decided that for me it's more important to have the space outside the run and not in it. Not if you put slabs down and use aubiose or hemcore on top Hi Andrea, I decided (or my son decided for me ) to have a perimeter of slabs (both outside and inside the run) but to leave soil in the centre. This may be more of an experiment than a solution though. It does let them dig b***** big holes which absorb loads of the lovely aubiose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I think there are three issues, chooklady: firstly, sleeping arrangements. You can easily get four chickens in an Eglu, or ten in a Cube, but that's just night-time. You then have to consider the daytime space, and whether they are in the run, or will be free-ranging. If they are going to be in the run most of the day (and sadly that is true for lots of us) then around 1 square metre per chicken is ideal. So, an Eglu run will be ok with two; run with converter, ok for three, and so on. A Cube standard run is ok for three (in my opinion), with an extension four or five. If however, your chickens are going to be free-range for a lot of the day (and please be very cautious about this, as foxes are a real problem) then you can get away with less run-space. Bear in mind however that if you are away, they will be confined to the run. I'd go for a Cube. Three chickens will be fine in there, and when you decide you want a couple more, you can just add an extension! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooklady Posted June 1, 2008 Author Share Posted June 1, 2008 Thanks for your replies so far. I am leaning towards a cube with a homemade walk-in run, (sorry hubby more woodwork for him to do) Measuring about 2m x 4m, on the 1m per chook that makes 8, that's fine 'cos I was thinking of about 6. Ideally I would like 3 hybrids and 3 pure bred birds. The run would have a corigated perspex top and some kind of screen to the side to protect from the winter weather and a door at one end. I've been drawing a plan tonight. Slabs around the edge for the framework and some grass and soil in the middle, this could be returfed when necessary. plus branches, dust bath etc. I cant wait. Many thanks Nicola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
