Sooo much pooping

[Bunnyish]

I currently have 3 set ups in the garden at the moment, i have bought 3 new girls last sat and this sat just been bought another 2 on top of the 5 i already have. The 5 new girls are seperated in their own pens (the 3 are between 17-22 weeks) and the (2 blue eggers are about 6 months), the old girls are located in the WIR at the end of the garden.

 

My plan is to intergrate the lot together and have all 10 living together... at the mo we just getting to know each other...

 

My current WIR is 9ft x 6ft x 6ft and the coop is on the outside. The coop is only suitable for 4-6 brids so will have to invest in a larger coop to house all 10 of them together, when we are one big happy flock!

 

I have seen this on ebay and quite like the look of it, its much prettier than out current setup and much more suited to out garden (more than anything i dont want the neighbours complaining that the place looks like a farm yard) This 'new' set up could easily be disguised with some pretty hanging baskets and pots with some nice climbing plants around it, unlike the 6ft tall run at the end of the garden...

 

Its got to the point where i cant keep setting up new coops all over the place and i know that they will go, im just sooo worried about what my neighbours at the side ( can see right into each others gardens front upstairs and the house at the back of the fence, who just happens to have chickens on either side of his house lol)

 

What do you think of this set up...

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LARGE-CHICKEN-HEN-POULTRY-COOP-COUP-SHED-HOUSE-AND-RUN_W0QQitemZ350316404656QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry?hash=item51907c1fb0

 

i really like it, do you think it will be big enough (says on one of the listings 9-20 birds) its 13ft long and about 3.5ft/4ft wide.. its not 6ft tall but then im not 6ft tall either so i can get in and turn the ground over n fill up grub bowls etc...

 

opinions please

[tom123]

The run that you have posted a link for is defiantly not big enough for 10 birds even if they had 3-4 hours of free-ranging in my opinion. I think the general 'rule' is 1sqm per bird and that run provides just over 3.5.

 

If I was you, I would try and get yourself a garden shed and add a couple of perches and a nest box or two. If you are any good at DIY then have a go at building a long run which is either tall enough for you to walk in or short enough for you to take the roof off and bend over the sides. I would say the run would have to be a minimum of 1m x 8m or 2m x 4m. You could buy something like these instead and attach them to the side of the shed.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/061-Poultry-Coop-Hen-Chicken-House-10ft-Sheltered-RUN_W0QQitemZ330352460607QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry?hash=item4cea8a833f

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-8FT-POULTRY-RUN-CHICKENS-HENS-BANTAMS-DUCKS-COOP_W0QQitemZ350317241871QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry?hash=item519088e60f

 

(These are just examples of the sort of run you could buy/build. All of these are too small!)

 

You don't have to use a shed, you could get yourself a coop from ebay or a housing supplier it's just that sheds are so easy to clean and probably the cheapest!

 

Is it not possible to extend your WIR?

 

 

Good Luck

Tom

[chelsea]

I agree with Tom I'm afraid. The run in the pic is not big enough for that many hens - why on earth the advertiser is saying adequate for up to 20 hens is quite worrying!

 

Why not extend what you have like Tom suggests?

[Plum]

I would think the house is big enough. Perhaps add another run onto it It's a nice looking house.

[Jools]

I wouldn't waste my money on it tbh. It may appear pretty on first glance, but if you look more closely there are lots of faults.

 

Those perches are too thin and it looks like the edges haven't been rounded off - they're just bits of batten. The "catch" that closes the removable side is just a heart shaped piece of wooden which could easily be displaced. There doesn't seem to be a door to the pophole, which means you can't shut them up at night and the run certainly isn't fox-proof (because most aren't). There's no allowance for ventilation, apart from the open pophole, and that's one of the quickest ways to end up with sick hens. It says it's made from Fir, which is one of the lowest quality woods for outdoor buildings, so it will not be durable and will warp and split in no time at all. I'm pretty sure the refence to wood of 1.1cm thickness does not relate to the shiplap, but to the joint bits (sorry, I'm not technical!!). I also agree that the run isn't suitable for more than 4 or 5 hens.

 

There are reputable UK manufacturers of similar housing, but you will pay for it. This might be more what you're looking for and you can choose which runs size you want. However, it's a lot more expensive than the one on the ebay link you posted. I must say that if I had the space in one place (and not scattered all over my garden) and just one flock, it's what I'd definitely go for.

[Redwing]

I echo what everyone has said, its too small

 

You'll need a run somewhere over 5 x 2 metres

 

These people make a smashing chicken house, Dappy Chick has some and they are fab, something like the one in the pic would be ideal

 

http://www.westawaypoultry.com/products/housing/westaway.html

[Bunnyish]

Thanks for all the very good pointers!

 

I have found another one which claims to hold 40 girls...

 

any better? My brother is a carpenter by trade so we can adapt and adjust...

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GIANT-WALK-IN-9-Poultry-Rabbit-Chicken-House-Coop-Run_W0QQitemZ230422524604QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry?hash=item35a640b2bc

[sjp]

Thanks for all the very good pointers!

 

I have found another one which claims to hold 40 girls...

 

any better? My brother is a carpenter by trade so we can adapt and adjust...

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GIANT-WALK-IN-9-Poultry-Rabbit-Chicken-House-Coop-Run_W0QQitemZ230422524604QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry?hash=item35a640b2bc

 

if I've worked it out right you've got 54 square feet of run space

this one claims 50 square feet 20 for the living area dosen't give much room for 40 birds to move

the sizes in the photo are differant to the write up to photo is about 8 x 6

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Could your brother not build you something at a reasonable cost ....at least you'd know it was sound & if there were any problems you could let him know in ways that only a sister can

 

Sha x

[Jools]

I honestly can't imagine your brother would be impressed by the quality of the wood and workmanship. It's made from fir and it's an import, neither of which I'd touch with a barge pole. They do sell plenty of them on ebay and I've noticed that some suppliers are stocking them too. I still say that they're not worth the money because you will end up replacing them much, much sooner than you would a properly built product. They give wooden poultry housing a very bad reputation imho.

 

I'd go with Sha's suggestion to get your brother to make something for you. Maybe he could make you a bespoke run in which you could put a stand alone house, like the one Redwing suggested?

[Bunnyish]

yeah they dont look the best quality, i love he frame bow ones and if i had a spare £1020 i would defo go for the walk in bow framed one, but sadly i dont

 

I could have a word with him and see what he can suggest...

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Something along the lines of.............."I can't find anything which would stand up to your professional scrutiny as I may need your help to get it perfect for us........." combined with a "little girl lost puppydog eyes" effect ....what brother could resist, especially if you added homemade cake into the mix......I have yet to meet a chippy who can resist a warm Viccy sandwich & bucket of tea

 

Good luck

 

Sha x

[Bunnyish]

haha pauuuuuul plleeeaaseee... me and the girls were up the garden having a chat aaannnnnd they have informed me that they are thinking of movung into a larger house so they can have sleeeep overs with the new girls.... but during our discussion they told me that they woul like to move into a 10 bed appartment, new build, with large garden, en-suite, house must have a porch.....

 

they had a look on right move and decided they would like a character property like the bow frame .....

[Chook n Boo Mum]

yup that should do it...be a hard man to resist such charms

 

Sha x

[fluffyknickers]

Ooh yes then once he has done you onw send him round to me (also in Essex) and he cane make a WIR for me tooooo!

 

Michelle

[Chook n Boo Mum]

It's always good to keep a man busy

 

Sha x

[Plum]

He'll have had lots of practice then and can pop up the M1 to help me