Poorly chicken

[Bunnyish]

Hi there

 

Currently my 5 girls are in 2 seperate covered runs, they have been together now for 4 months and seem to get on fine now, with no more fighting when they are free ranging in the garden. they all get on very well and happily mooch about. i would like to change their covered run into a walk in run, to make life easier for me cleaning them, and not having to climb into their pen, and to move the run up the back of the garden, to clear some space. (currently dead centre of the garden)

 

I have panels (6foot by 3 foot) they are on their sides so the pen is 3 foot tall, but about 12ft long. i want to flip these and make it 6ft up right.

 

i have 10 panels, but my brother is a chippy so can make more if need be.

 

I was planning on having .... 9ft by 6ft run, with roof and paved floor. To stop foxes digging under and getting over.

 

As the girls are seperate (pens connected but wire between them, so they get used to each other) i have got 2 coops. i have ordered a new coop box for them as i made the other 2 myself. The new coop would be on the outside of the run so no space taken up.

 

Would a 9ft x 6ft be ample space (including different height levels, things to climb on etc) be enough for my 5 girls????

[Space Chick]

9ft by 6ft is 54 square feet which equates to 5 square metres. The recommendation is 1 square metre per girl, so it would be fine for the 5 you have but there would be no room for flock expansion

[abwsco]

Definately make it as big as you can as like Debs says there is always chicken expansion

[Redwing]

9 x 6 is spot on, a good size but beware the addiction

[Cooks]

if you added two more panels of 3ftx 6ft then you would get a run of 12ftx6ft (thats my run size made exactly of those sized panels) that would give you a bit more space if you needed it.

I have 5 girls in my run

[Ain't Nobody Here]

My run (see link in my signature) is 2.5m x 2m so 5 square metres exactly. I have 5 girls now but wouldn't consider any more, even with all the perches and extra levels they have.

 

If you can go bigger, I would .

[Bunnyish]

ITS BUILT!!

 

I now have all 5 of my girls in together and they seem to be getting on fine

 

The run is 9ft x 6ft currently but have plenty of space to expand!! am planning on making my flock larger by another 4 girls so will have space to increase and introduce them when im brave enough to bring them home without my mum or nan killing me! might say pull the whole .... oh them 4 birds, they have always been in there... must have been hiding all this time

 

I have split the levels up so they can sit up on higher perches and they got things to climb on top of and keep them interested.

 

Only problem have encounted soooo far... when i open the door they try to get out (have to go armed with sweetcorn to bribe them to keep them in, so i can check if any eggs been laid in the nice comfy hideouts and not the main coop. My brother has agreed to help me change the door into a stable door kinda thing, so i can keep the bottom half shut while i bribe them, then when they not looking i can get in there with them.

 

Will post link to pictures when i take some!

[Jules.]

i have 6 in a 6x9 run, with my on the outside.

[Bunnyish]

Pictures of the run and girls

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/bunnyish1/TheGirls#