What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[Lizzie]

We currently have a WIR (The James from Woodenart.co.uk), but after some prolonged and persuasive reasoning, my OH has agreed to an additional walk in run which I will be getting from Tony (he does know !)

This is for when we are not around, so I don't feel so guilty when I go out for a few hours at the weekend and also to give them more space to roam around when the weather is bad.

 

My plan is to keep the exisiting run as a "dry run" with aubiose on top of slabs, kick boards, perches etc, then the new run to be a more natural run, linked by an overground tunnel. This would keep the grass and I would re-turf once or twice a year depending how quickly they mowed / dug what they had.

Both runs will sit on top of sleepers to give them additional security and I will continue to have clear glass tarps around for driving rain.

 

I intend to put my "half way house " in the new run which will sit on top of a table, where any additional hens ( 4 coming in May) will go until ready for integration. We can then open the tunnel so they can all go in both runs.

 

My thoughts are though that whatever I have in the eglu bedding wise, is going to end up on the floor in the new run so do you think i should have a few slabs under the table where the eglu will sit or just leave the aubiose to decompose on the grass ?

 

Soooo excited about this I can't tell you and I have been enjoying reading and seeing everybody else's WIR updates.

 

Best wishes and thanks in advance for any advice received.

 

Liz

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Sounds exciting . Not sure about the grass "floor" though, I think it would be unsustainable trying to re-turf it . I'd just let them eat the grass (should take a day or so ) and leave the sods down to form the basis of a floor which you can then put bedding on top of. I take this run will be covered? Dont think slabs would be necessary except as a firm base for your table.

[Lizzie]

thanks ANH

Yes, additional run will be have a roof too and having further thought through will see how long the grass lasts then put down a dry floor afterwards.

My only reason for wanting to have some grass is that they love to graze, I have tried them on lettuce and cabbage but just not interested. I currently put new turf in their exisiting run every week (only 1 piece) but was hoping to be able to stop doing this.

What else could I give them so they get their "greens" ?

 

regards

Liz

[Ain't Nobody Here]

To be honest, mine mostly do without "greens" . I don't let them on the lawn at all. They turn their noses up at any veg I put in (except for corn on the cob!). They are happy and healthy so I don't worry about it too much. They do eat leaves off my shrubs and stretch through to get at the edges of the lawn so perhaps that's enough for them .

[Lizzie]

thats reassuring, thanks very much.

They will have access to lawn, but only when we are around when the grass in the new run disappears.

Guess I best pre-warn OH that there will be more work for him in the Autumn