Single hen

[CorkyCl]

Hi, I am soon to order a cube. Not sure whether to get a cube with the standard 2 metre run or the cube with the 2m run + the 1m extension. I am going to get 4 hens. They will be in the omlet run quite a bit, unless we are home, and then I will let them free range. So, what size run shall I get for the cube? The cube and run will be in a fixed position on wood chips and aubiose.

 

Do I need the bigger run (3 metres in all) or am I just wasting £100 on what is already a hefty outlay of cash?

 

Any advice will be appreciated.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

The more space they have the happier they will be...go as big as you can afford in space and money. If you have them in too small a space, they will start pecking each other - my Orpies look like "bare necks" until their feathers grow back due to being kept in a small run. They now have a huge run & it seems to have developed into a habit, which I am now going to have to break

 

I'd go for a 2m minimum, then maybe look out for a secondhand run on here or eBay. A lot of people are adding walkin runs to their setup & are selling the redundant runs. Alternatively go straight to the walkin run - problem solved!!

 

Good luck with your new hobby...it's addictive - just in case you hadn't picked that up from this forum!!

 

Sha x

[hillfamily]

dito what Sha has already said :D

 

As they are going to spend most if their time in the run, going for as much run as money and space allow. The standard 2m run plus a 1m extension will be great for 4 chooks :D

[Guest]

Hi

 

I am waiting for just a cube on its own to arrive as i couldnt justify expense of a run, but i was worried perhaps i should go for the whole package!. But i did like the idea of moving it around the garden which fortunately isnt small. However I have ended up building a Wir really cheaply compared to the cost of the cube run.

I did visit another omleter who has successfully got the whole lot of 3m run but has ended up building a wir around it!(although not with a roof on the wir)

Seema s awaste of money to me

 

I am glad i havent bought the run as extra but i am sure someone else will say otherwise

 

hope that helps

indie

[Seagazer]

I've had my 3 girls in a standard 2m cube run since May and I have decided to go for a WIR primarily because of foxes but also because they've ruined the garden.

 

I think the 2m run is not big enough. Once you've put a few things in like a tray for dustbathing and a roosting bar there isn't a lot of room.

 

Edited to add: I only think this because mine can't be out for long free ranging because of the fox problem. If yours are able to be out for a long time then the run would be fine.

[brambles]

I bought a cube with extra1m (3m in all) a month ago and am trying to combine my old and new two girls (4 in all!).

 

They will free range, but it'll have to be supervised as now it's spring they are really trashing the garden and attempting to dig dust bowls in the lawn!

 

I do laugh at their afternoon beauty parlour habit - they head straight for a group of camellias where they have dug little dust baths and sit in them for an hour or so.

 

Hopefully they'll be happy in the 3m run with some freedom. (just got to sort out the dominant hen as the other older hen seems to have settled down with the new girls).

[mad house]

We have got a 5mt run in total.

Ours are in most of the time unless we are home for any lenght of time so this is ideal.

 

The girls love to run around and scratch about.

 

All I need to do now is sort out a dusting bath for them!!

 

Good luck

[Janty]

I would also say the bigger the better. We have two cubes both with standard runs plus two extentions and we still feel guilty about leaving the girls locked inside.

[noyan]

I originally bought standard run and cube. but now waiting for 1m extension run to be delivered. have four hybrid hens. not enough room for bigger run at the moment. I let them out in the garden when I am around. Think it's like getting a new freezer you always find it's not quite big enough.

[JM]

I was wondering the same when I ordered mine last summer. I decided in the end to go for the standard run plus an extension (3m in total) - and I am really glad I did, as it just seemed right when it was all put together. I've got three and they are more than happy in that space when they have to be shut in.

 

I've just bought another extension - but I've not put it on yet - but that wasn't really because they needed it, it was more to give me options of adding more in due course!

 

Jill

[alih]

I have run plus 3 metres for 5 chickens and it's fine