4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[chocolatedog]

Hi - how many omleteers keep their girls permanently in the run with no free-ranging at all? The reason is that up till now our girls have pretty much had the run of the garden, but now junior is 16 months old and the weather is reasonable, I want to be able to let him play in the garden without fear of him sitting in something/walking through something, getting mess on his hands and transferring it to mouth etc etc . And what size run should I be thinking of building if I want to keep the 3 girls in permanently? I've looked at the chicken run inspiration sticky and there are some amazing des res chicken houses on there! But for those of you with those lovely runs, do your girls stay in there or still free-range? We've been made an offer by friends to buy our girls and keep them with their own happy free-range flock in a field - and I'm thinking this might be the kinder thing to do, especially as our friends have said we can have some of the eggs back free every week......oh what to do? I love my little girls and I miss their company but I want to do right for all concerned.......

[theherd123]

My chooks dont free range every day as i wont leave them out without me being there.

I knew this would be the case before i got chooks so OH & I built a large run approx 5m x 5m square, with an upper level, built in dust bath, logs and tree stumps to climb on and things to dangle in the run.

 

Building a run is such a fun thing to do and will solve both problems for you.

 

You could always get some netting and fence a specific part of your garden off just for the chooks when they do come out.

 

It would be a huge shame to rehome the chooks.

[Tina C]

Is your garden big enough to create a separate area for the chickens? It does not have to be huge. I use omelt netting to section off the chickens' 'free-range' area. They still come into the rest of the garden for short periods too but my girl is older and knows how to avoid freshly laid poo

 

Someone else will have to advise on the size of a bigger run as I don't have one.

[moomin]

we have a 7ft X 10 ft walk in run with 2 chooks in it.

 

we let them out every evening for about 2 hours when we get in from work with a bit more at weekends, when we are out in the garden to watch them.

 

The poos aren't too bad you have to keep on top of them - I pick them out of the run most days as I am worried about neighbours complaining about the smell. And once they've gone in for the night I pick them up from the garden.

 

Keeping chickens in a walk in run is much easier. If you've got the space and can afford it

[FruitandNutCake]

My 3 had a walk in run and shed with an overall area of about 9ft by 21ft, which they shared with 2 rabbits whilst I was at work. But most days I let them into a sectioned off part of the garden after getting my children from nursery and school. They free range from about 3:30 till dusk.

 

Most weekends they are out from six am to dusk.

 

The only time they are confined to the run is when I have to go out, or if the weather is really bad. Most of the time I am in the garden anyway.

 

I only got mine because I knew I had enough room to dedicate a third of my 120ft x 30ft garden to them - with the intention that my 3 original girls will have the larger 2/3rds when my new ex batts are free ranging in the other 3rd.

 

Personally, I couldn't keep mine confined permanently.

[carenb]

I have 4 girls, and they are confined to a run during the day until I return home from work. the run is 7' x 12'. they seem to be very happy in there, and provided they have stimulations (toys, logs to climb etc) they should be ok.

 

Mine do free range when I get home, and I have an 18mth old and 4 yr old boys. I don't let the boys play outside on their own (at weekends - cos I work full time) until I've done a poo run - which I do daily. I am conscious about the poo issue and health, but we have a few cats around our area which insist on pooing in my flower beds, and I have to be aware of that too... .although talking about it, I am starting to feel I spend my non-working time poo picking ! (or reading omlet posts)

 

I wouldn't not let my birds free range, not only for them, but for the boys too, they absolutely love them... see some pics here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/carenbreddy/Chickens

 

Hope this helps a little ! Whatever you choose, anything is better than battery.

 

Caren.

[chocolatedog]

When we got our 3 girls, we had no kids, so were fine with all the free-ranging etc etc but since junior came along we're having to re-think. I'm not sure if they'll be happy in one sectioned off area of the garden when they've been used to having the whole garden, which is why I'm wondering whether re-homing them might be the kindest thing to do....unless you think they'd be happy enough either in a large run with a bench, perches, plenty of hemcore (or whatever if I can't get any more hemcore supplies....) to scratch around in plus greens etc in there to occupy them......or in a reduced garden area.......? Not sure how easy it will be to section off the areas...

[Egluntyne]

They will be perfectly happy with a sectioned off area of the garden.

 

Mine have a walk in run, and their own ranging area and are very happy there.

 

They have logs and rocks to perch on etc and they scratch about to their hearts content.

 

Your little one will learn a lot from observing the hens too. It would be a shame to get rid of them.

[Sunshine]

We have four chickens and they are in a walk in run roughly 20ft x 15ft with their wooden coop inside. We used to let them out when the weather allowed us too because someone needed to stay outside with them to keep them safe from foxes.

 

However we are having a new garage built so they have been kept in their run all the time recently because the builders are here and we are often out at weekends. They seem pefectly happy as they have room to walk about in and we give them greens to eat most days. When we first stopped letting them out they would try to get out when someone went in and pace a lot in the run but now they seem to have realised that they are staying in and just want their treats in the afternoon.

 

I would definately try to keep the chickens either by building a walk in run or by buying some netting to make them their own section of the garden.

[cammy73]

I have 3 girls in a walk in run, which is about 9ft by 9ft square, they have logs and perches and are in there all the time. They are perfectly happy...

 

Sharon x

[FruitandNutCake]

My two kids soon learnt to watch out for the poo. Mine both have learning difficulties (autistic) and they love the chickens and rabbits. I think a bits of poo won't hurt - they have to learn not to eat things - I have more dangerous things in my garden such as foxgloves. Mine even run around with no clothes on and if they do manage to step in something, I just wash them! (The kids - not the chickens )

[mrsm_jones]

Chocolatedog...whereabouts in the country are you? I may be able to recommend a great chicken-run making man if you are anywhere near Scotland! I got some very reasonably priced run panels made to order and my walk-in run is now 18ft x 9ft!

[chocolatedog]

Yup I'm in Central Scotland........do your girls stay in all the time?

[mrsm_jones]

They do stay in most of the time, but sometimes I like having them in the garden so I do let them out occasionally. We bought the walk-in run so that they don't HAVE to be out at all though, and any free-range time is a bonus. (We're so busy ). Will PM you if you're interested. My 18ft x 9ft run only cost me £250, but we are making a roof ourselves.

[chocolatedog]

I was thinking of something along the lines of 12ft by 12ft.......would that be large enough? It would be shaded by our apple tree and on the side that has fewer apples. The difficulty with our garden is that we have our cars parked at the back so it's awkward to section off a part of it because of its layout, but a large pen might work....we went to visit them today - junior was really excited to see all the chickens (ours plus the several belonging to our friends) which makes me want them back but I just don't want to be unfair to them if they'd have a better life there instead.....(and probably, knowing the rate we get things done in this household (ie very slowly!) it'll be ages before we get a run built and the girls will be well settled there anyway!!!)

[moomin]

I think you need to weigh up how much you want to keep your chooks = the inconvenience of your little ones treading in poo etc.

 

If you keep on top of the poo it's not too bad. And if they are in a walk in run you could just let them out for an hour a day they would love it

 

My 14 year old son is forever walking poo into the house. I just follow him round with a cloth and disinfectant.

 

Chooks are great, kids who grow up with animals get great enjoyment out of them.

[chocolatedog]

Well, the girls are back and so far I've just kept them in their extended omlet run to avoid having to clear up the garden/brush the paths every night, but I have actually ordered the omlet netting as people have recommended (and I thought the reviews sounded positive too) so that should be here early next week so the girls can get out and about - but not too far about! - in a netted-off area. When hubby gets back from business trip he and a friend will set about designing and building a bigger walk-in run for them which should also make going away on holiday that bit easier too.....I must say it's nice having them back - junior keeps toddling up the garden and gazing at them and waving hello and goodbye every time we go past! Cute!

[Lapinou]

Don't sell them! Your little one won't be 16m for ever and will soon learn not to touch the poo, and a little bit on his feet or bottom won't do him any harm! Ours free-range a lot when we're home, but we're often out all day and they stay in the run + coverter absolutely fine and did so for a whole week when we were on holiday. They have woodchip to scratch around in, a perch, and a dustbath and are happy as larry. We usually chuck a treat or two in there in the afternoon if they are shut away all day.

[chocolatedog]

Very cute today - junior and I took some halved grapes up the garden to feed the girls through the mesh - I'm not sure who ended up eating more grapes - junior or the girls! And he even tried to offer a few through the mesh himself......awwww! I'm glad they're back.....the Omlet netting should be arriving on Monday or Tuesday so they'll be allowed out again.....looking forward to seeing them out in the garden again, albeit a smaller area this time.....

[Hen Watch]

So glad you are getting the Omlet netting.

 

I have it and my girls have their own bit of garden. I was sad not to see them free range the whole garden, but hubbie put his foot down and actually the girls are OK.

 

My only top tip would be make sure the eglu is not too near the fence to use as a launch pad for escapes and make some kind of "door" or gate. I cut my fencing up and have a gap as an entrance with expanding trellis as a door held in place by some garden chairs.

 

 

Last Winter they were on one side of the garden.

 

Summer moved to the right of the garden. The "gate".....

[AJuff]

My girls are in their run until I return from work when they freerange in the garden for a few hours. In the winter they spend all day in the run until the weekend comes.

 

The children have garden crocs and can run about treading in whatever they find, they know they have to leave them on the step before they come in. This way no hen poo crosses the threshold but everyone is happy.

 

My children have learnt so much about hens and where their food comes from that I feel it would be a shame to let your hens go.

[chocolatedog]

Oh well, Omlet netting has arrived and is installed.....and I've had 3 breakouts already!! 2 by Pepper and 1 by Ginger....... So I'll have to keep a watch on them tomorrow to see if I can work out just where they're escaping......ho hum.......I put it up in a hurry just to let them get out and about as they've been confined for nearly 4 weeks now, so tomorrow I'll have to start looking more seriously at a more ideal positioning of every section of the 25 metres.....

[Hen Watch]

Oh well, Omlet netting has arrived and is installed.....and I've had 3 breakouts already!!

 

I have tent pegs along the base of the nettting every 3 foot or so.

 

Make sure the eglu is a good distance away from the netting (mine is at least 4 meters away) as they will hop up onto the run and use this as a launch pad over the netting (or any other conveniently placed launch pad like the compost bin etc).

 

I've also driven wooden stakes next to every other pole (nothing to do with escapes but I feel it is a bit more secure).