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

[cats_dogs_chicks]

Hi,

Is it possible to keep 2 to 3 hens on a mainly concrete area?

 

My garden is a bit small you see. When I moved into this estate 7 years ago I had no pets or kids. Now I have 4 cats, 3 dogs and 2 small kids(4 & 2). As the back was just muck from the dogs and our neighbours were very anti cat we changed the garden. It was divded up to suit our family at the time.

 

Cats in a cat run along the back wall with access to shed, 4ft fence dividing kids side from dog side(with access gate) and a further closed off area down the side of the house. Most of the yard is concrete with a small patch of grass for the kids to play on. Its easier to clean. There is also a raised veg patch at the kids side.The dogs are allowed over supervised otherwise they would eat my veg or at least the compost

 

The area I was planning to keep the hens was down the side of the house. Between the house and an 8ft block boundary wall. I am hoping to build a WIR(if that is correct).Its 6ft wide at its widest(front of house) tapering to 3ft at the back gate. Its approx 30ft long. There is a concrete lip/path of just over 3ft down by the side of the house. That can't be removed. However I cobblelocked the remaining part (3ft tapering to a few inches). I am currently removing these bricks as I need them for the cat run and was planning on putting something more suitable down for the hens. It is sand, earth, pipes and then more earth there but at least that allows water to drain away if I was washing the area. I also plan to roof and fully enclose the area. There is a huge 6ft gate at the front which blocks some light but I think it gets sufficient amounts of light, some direct sun in various places at different parts of the day.

 

I would hope to let the hens out around the garden for some exercise and slug and bug catching everyday at the kids side and raised bed, dog side too once I move the dogs. They might even be handy for checking out the bugs in the cat run(minus the cats of course)

 

I would be puting in a dust bath, things to climb on/perch and posibly an area of wood chips(if that is the correct thing) I was hoping to get an eglu but not use the run part except for their holidays at my kennel keepers

 

My pets are 7 yrs to 4yrs being the youngest so I can appreciate that keeping hens would be a long time commitment and not something to be taken lightly.

 

So my main question is would that be a suitable area for some hens or not? Honest answers please or advice.

 

My husband and family think I am cracked as it is

[KateG]

I don't have hens yet but we were considering a hard base for our girls - we'd have put paving slabs down, so I cant see that the hard floor would be an issue.

 

I do know that you may need permission to put something that close to your house. It doesn't sound like it blocks light to anyone but you may need to call your council to check (better safe than sorry).

[Egluntyne]

Absolutely. My hens live in a walk in run with a cobbled base.

 

I cover the base with which they scrach about in happily, and it absorbs their poo wonderfully.

 

You will need a roof on the run to prevent rain soaking the Aubiose.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Hello and welcome to the forum . As Egluntine says, yes, they can . Sounds like a nice big area and if you wanted to leave it, sand/earth would be a perfectly good base to put bedding down on (Easibed/Hemcore/Aubiose/Nedzbedz/elephant grass are all names that spring to mind). I would agree about the roof too .

 

If you've not already had a look, these threads might be interesting/useful .

 

Chicken Run Inspiration - the photos

We're all planning walk in runs

[miffy]

welcome to the forum.......sounds great to me. A lot of us keep our girls on a hard base, although I think most let them free range to varying degrees as well. Keep us posted..

[Lewis]

Mine are an grass (mud ) at the moment and I think I'll change them onto some paving slabs in the summer.

You could grow them some trays of grass and they'd scratch around in that

[cats_dogs_chicks]

Thanks.

We have no house attached to us at the side I am planning to cover in. Its not so easy to find supplies online in the middle of Ireland

 

I have been looking at plastic sheeting to roof the area but it might be too expensive. Then I thought of perhaps sticking up a thick batons at both sides and somehow managing to attach a hinged wooden frame(perhaps trellis) to which I could secure good quality tarpaulin. I would use a mix of clear and green so there would be a bit of shading.

Not so sure how I will get it done yet but tarps are definitely cheaper.

The fact that the roof structure would be hinged would mean I could lower it and secure it to the house if it was very stormy/gale. I would be moving the hens in at that stage anyway. I normally bring the dogs in early and lock the shed where the cats are.

 

Tonight I will look at those threads and be totally heartbroken looking at WIR's that are so wonderfully done.

 

Thanks again. You have given me some hope