What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[Fur 'n' Feathers]

We've made the plunge finally!

 

This has been prompted by the fact that our new cats Marley & Marcie have demonstrated they will certainly attempt to kill our hens if given the opportunity. We haven't been able to let the girls out without guarding them like hawks by being physically present, which is not practical. We've had evidence of 2 wild birds being brought into the house over each of the last 2 nights and being totally consumed on the front door mat (blood splatters up the white paintwork yesterday and a bit of a leg this am)!! Feathers everywhere both times!!!

 

A WIR is not practical at present and the cube seems our best option.We will buy an extension too.

 

As we are intending to replace Miso who died in June we now have the opportunity to review how many we add to our existing 2 medium hybrids.

 

As they will be permanently in the cube & run with 1m extension, what is the most practical top number to have?

 

The up side is tat we will keep the eglu and converter for additions, A&E, sin bin, etc.

[lyd119]

Hi,

 

I'm no expert I'd say you could add a couple more but stop there. If you keep too many in a small area it could lead to bullying, I'm sure you'd rather have 3-4 happy hens than 6-7 unhappy hens. good luck with whatever you choose to do.

 

Lydia

[Fur 'n' Feathers]

Hi,

 

I'm no expert I'd say you could add a couple more but stop there. If you keep too many in a small area it could lead to bullying, I'm sure you'd rather have 3-4 happy hens than 6-7 unhappy hens. good luck with whatever you choose to do.

 

Lydia

 

Mmm! That follows our thoughts Lyd119. We've had 3 in the eglu with converter and thought if we were moving to a cube & extension we could add 2 to replace Miso, making 4 altogether. Although the cube is supposed to house 6 without an extension it looks tto small to do this on a permanent basis to us.

[lyd119]

that's what I was thinking, you could probably add 3-4 more if they were let to free range. i don't think the eglu or the cube are big enough for the number of chooks they say they are if you can't let them free range much.

[Gallina]

I used to think you couldn't have too many hens, but after quite a lot of squabbling and feather-pecking recently, I think eight hens is about right for a garden.

 

Don't be tempted to get more hens just because you have gained some extra space, because this immediately takes away the extra space.

 

I have ten hens at the moment, but have vowed not to get two more until I am reduced to six, which I am glad to say could be some time, as they are all fighting fit.

 

Just don't look at threads which will lead you astray. I am trying not to -- one picture of a couple of baby Cochins, and I will be done for.

[Space Chick]

I would say 4 would be about right. I had 4 in a standard run, then when 1 died and I wanted to get more girls I built my WIR as I felt that the standard cube run would have been too small, however, as you have said that is not an option, so I would agree that its best to have 4 happy girls

[Fur 'n' Feathers]

Thanks for the comments. They are very helpful. We had already decided to get a replacement for Miso. Getting the cube gives more space & we thought it could be useful to get a pair to introduce rather than one hen.

 

The reason for the cube is because we can't let them free-range any more, so we want to give them as much enclosed space as possible.

 

Is it better to introduce one or a pair to an existing flock? The two we introduce will have been reared together, just as the existing hens were.

[alih]

Adding 2 to 2 will be fine if you follow the excellent threads about intros. Should take about 3 weeks before your 2 mini-flocks are 1 big one. 4 will be fine in your space.