Different brand auto door??

[tom123]

Well am needing a couple of small arks/coops with runs for a few trios/pairs of bantams.

 

I need something that is easily moved, big enough for them all the time and cheap ish!

 

Have found lots but these are my favourites, what do you think?...

 

- My favourite one!

 

- Second favourite one, cheap as well!

 

- Not bad, looks good quality but maybe a little small?

 

- Looks very good, but expensive!

 

- Is it big enough for a small pair of bantams

 

- The one with the extra run

 

 

What do you think? If you know of any others then please let me know

 

I would also like to find a house and run big enough for about 5 big hens with a run. They wouldn't be able to come out except maybe at the weekend for an hour each day. Must be moved relatively easily!

 

Thanks

Tom

[katieD]

i recently visited the Poultry trust at Honeybourne, Evesham. they had some lovely ones- really strong and made to last- they are on their website- might be worth a look?

 

katie x

[chicklit]

Hi Tom,

 

I've just bought a wooden hen house for my new arrivals from http://www.henhouseworld.co.uk. The prices are low, the quality excellent and delivery was super fast. I ordered it last Wednesday at 5.30pm and it was delivered on Friday.

 

They have several different styles of coops so it's definitely worth a look see.

 

Good luck with your search,

 

Brenda

[Jools]

Tom, the first two you list look far too flimsy to even be worth the low price I'm afraid. There are a lot of poor quality, cheap poultry houses being touted everywhere right now with people cashing in on the poultry craze. You may save yourself some money with them now but they won't last and you'll end up having to replace them far sooner than you expect.

 

I haven't seen a Jim Vyse house in the flesh, but they look to be better quality than the first two. I wouldn't however buy anything with chicken wire instead of weldmesh because a fox will be through it in minutes.

 

Flyte So Fancy have a very good reputation, but again I haven't seen one for real.

 

All my houses are Forsham so I can absolutely vouch for the quality. My oldest is nearly five years old and there is no sign of wear and tear at all. I wouldn't buy anything else tbh. They are pricey to buy new, but if you keep your eyes peeled, they do pop up on e-bay. I bought one via an ad at my feed merchants for less than half the price of a new one.

 

For bantams I'd definitely go for a house above the run style because you make best use of the space available. The Boughton 902A is the one I have, or should I say I have two of. I'd be happy to keep a trio of bantams in one pretty much permanently, moving it every couple of days onto fresh ground, but no more than that. They certainly aren't suitable for big chickens because of head room issues, but if they made a taller one, I'd definitely use it for my big 'uns.

 

Hope this helps

[abwsco]

My friend has a Flyte so Fancy one. She was lucky enough to buy a secondhand 10 hen house one for £50!!! It's very good quality.

 

I have to agree with Jools over the quality of some of the cheap ones.

 

Another option is to check out freecycle for rabbit hutches that you could strengthen and then use.

[tom123]

OK thanks guys! keep it coming!

 

What about this one? Cheap, good quality, perfect for bantams?

 

http://www.jimvysearks.co.uk/Pages/RabbitArk.html

 

Thanks

Tom

 

P.S. Found somewhere that does it for £117!

[tom123]

bump

[Redwing]

Tom, someone in Bristol has a nice sounding ark for sale on the Bluelaced forum, its not very old and is just £70

[tom123]

could you give me the details please tasha??

 

Thanks

Tom

[Redwing]

HOUSES:

1 Ark only about 2 years old, homemade by a local guy, really nice house, approx 6ft long and around 3ft wide including run. Has removable perch/ internal nest box and run is partly covered. £70

 

Ad is above, its on www.bluelaced.co.uk on the forum, under 'sales' and a post called 'selling up - Bristol'

[Jools]

Tom, there is the smallest Forsham Boughton ark on ebay at the moment

 

Boughton 902

 

It's in Wiltshire and the starting price is £90 with a buy it now of £150. I don't think it will make £150, unless someone really, really wants that particular one! The house part is plenty big enough for a trio of bantams, but the run part is a little on the small side if they are to be confined. However, it's really easy to knock up an extension for these arks .....

 

Jools

[lyd119]

They are all very pretty and look very nice. However I can't begin to explain how much easier a small converted shed has been for us. There's plenty of head room and space for shelves for storage. We just cut a square out of one side of our shed and put mesh over it to ake a window which has a flap to flip up at night.

They are also alot cheaper for their size than proper chicken houses. Here's one for example....http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/Wooden-Sheds/BillyOh-Overlap-Value-Apex

[Jools]

Except if you are keeping breeding groups separately, in which case separate housing is needed. Or if you need to keep them confined most of the time and having several smaller houses makes moving them onto fresh ground easier. Or, as in my case, you have a really awkward garden on a steep slope and lots of priorities, so the "chicken" areas are scattered around and you can't keep them all in one place.

[Guest]

Hi Tom

 

the first one looks like a forsham and my neighbour loved that style for her bantams good space saver easy to move etc kept them dry.

 

The last one looks good as well.

 

I had a forsham duck house it was 7 years old and still usable very well built good quality, they did use to put them up for you..I would recommend forsham for wood.. The domestic wildfowl trust sell housing with onduline roofing that looked good when i visitied them once.

 

Or build one yourself?? May be less money.

 

Let us know what you get and what you think of it??

 

good luck

[..lay a little egg for me]

We are very pleased with the quality of our Domestic Fowl Trust henhouse. The onduline roof is a must in a wooden house I think.