Sooo much pooping

[Torrin]

I am getting a Tony tomorrow

which obviously I am not at all excited about

and clearly, as a good omleteer my first thought was "ooh, there'll be room for more chickens!!"

 

Am planning on using the cube run inside the WIR for intros as I have seen others do, but what do I use for housing? Can't really afford to buy anything much - having persuaded OH to spend a fortune on the run! - but will need something that will last a few weeks.

 

Also how many chooks can I get away with? Have 4 girls now, getting a 18' x 9' run and was hoping for 3 more girls. Sound ok? (they get NO fr time due to large newfie puppy who jumps netting fences!!)

[sallyj]

I have just finished introductions (it took 4 weeks) and I also used the cube run inside my WIR. It worked really well and I used a small rabbit hutch for the 3 new ones to sleep in. It had a hinged roof on it which I propped up slightly for extra ventilation. What actualyy happened was they preferred to sleep on the roof instead but they did use it to lay in

[Torrin]

Thanks Sally, I have looked at rabbit hutches but don't have one already and they seem to be £40 + to buy new. Can't find anyone locally who's getting rid of one

 

Any other suggestions?

[Falkor]

A large cat carrier could be used in the warmer months providing they are in a secrue run.

 

The weather has cooled slightly over the last few days though so I am not sure that I would use a cat carrier at the moment, a hutch/kennel would be better. Having said that one two of my girls slept outside on a perch last night so what do I know

 

Have you checked out the Egus to hire thread?

 

Where abouts are you torrin, maybe someone has something suitable you could borrow/hire?

[The Dogmother]

Try a small dog crate with a cat box inside, or ask on your local Freecycle/Freegle for a rabbit hutch.

[Guest]

Thornes poultry center said put the older chickens you had free ranging and put the new ones in there run and house and at night let the old ones in the house and then be around the next day if there is any big squabbles put the old ones back outside and in at night and keep repeating this until a week after the news ones have come then free range them all together.

[chickyhazel]

We used a cat carrier for intros when we only had the ,now we have the so it's not a problem. We used it in September and the then newbies weren't cold. Also, our old wooden roosting bars that we used before we got plastic ones fitted perfectly so they could perch.