Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[cluckingmad]

Hi guys and girls!

 

Need some help - I'm planning (against my fiances better judgement ) to increase my chooks from 4 omlet hens to include ex-batts and a few others in the new year, but first a new a sparkly run needs to be built....

 

Now then. We currently have a green cube which will sit inside the new run but I've got no idea how big the run will need to be for say 10-12 birds (would also like bantams, but not sure if the big girls would be nice to them or not...)... any suggestions?!

 

I can feel my chicken addiciton growing by the minute - my four girls have only been with us since August and they now come when called and respond to their names

 

Carolyn

 

 

Chicken towers , happy home to esme, peppercorn, Jemima and Maggie, rest of garden home to Oscar and Trouble, the resident mogs

Edited October 22, 2008 by Guest

[helenmb]

I think it might come down to the fact of whether your girls are going to be free ranging all day because if they are then you might not need such a big space. I think the usual recommendation is for 1 square metre for each hen so this would mean that if you had a run like the one I have which is 3m x 3m then you could theoretically have 9 hens in there.

Also, what is worth thinking about too, is if you would be able to move it at any stage so you can let the land recover a bit.

 

I have a picture of my run on my Omlet Gallery - link below - it is still being finished off as we are taking delivery of a cube next week and will sight this outside the run for easy access and to give them more space. Plus, we are also going to build a mezzanine platform once the Cube is fitted.

 

Ooh, one other thing I read - sadly after we had built ours that its better to not have one that is square as they are happier in a non-square space. However, they seem pretty happy to me!

[cluckingmad]

thanks Helen, thats great

 

We're planning on leaving the girls in the run most of the time, they come out at week-ends and if we get home early enoug h(i.e. and it's still light), but with winter drawing on they're not going to be able to free range much.

[helenmb]

My girls are in their run most of the time too and seem quite happy. I always make sure that the area is kept as spick and span as possible and that they have greens everyday to make up for the lack of free ranging. I also have some raised perches in the run for them as they like to roost off the ground during the day.

 

Also, I use Stalosan on the ground which I dig in occasionally with some garden lime plus I hose the soil too as my run is covered so doesn't get any rain. This makes sure the soil is as fresh as possible.

 

Here is a bit about what Stalosan does

[Egluntyne]

I have a 9' x 18' run with a cube and 14 hens in it at the mo. (The babies are still in an Eglu).

 

There is plenty of room.

[HENthusiastic]

The best size run is the biggest you have space for! Then you can increase your flock again next year.