Part 0800.0005

[Stedic]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm thinking of expanding my flock from the existing two girls. They currently live in an Eglu, but due to run space I might look at upgrading to a cube (more efficient use of the space I have). Anyhow, I'm going to need some way to introduce new girls to the older ones, and I can't really afford to keep an Eglu just for this (will have to sell it to finance the cube).

 

So, I'm thinking of building myself a small coop and run to use as an introductions/broody/hospital coop and run. I'm hoping that some careful planning would allow it to come apart and flat pack at the side of the house when not in use. The area between it and the cube or Eglu would be relatively narrow, so I'm thinking a smallish house and limited run, as no one would be in it long. A slide out floor with mesh beneath could allow it to be a brrody coop if required too (I think).

 

Has anyone built anything like this for themselves? What size of house would you suggest, for a maximum of 4 girls at a time? The run may have to be a long and thin affair, as thats about all that will fit, but I could manage 2 -3 metres length without a huge amount of trouble.

 

Is anything commercially available? Is there a way to section of an area within a cube for introductions that I havent thought of?

 

 

Steve

[Jools]

Four chickens need 12ins of perch space and 1sqm of run space each. One nest box should suffice.

[Redwing]

Falkor is the master of making cube trains with sections in, hopefully she will be along with her wisdom soon

 

One problem you would have is that new hens need to be kept separate for quarantine for a week or so and thats where the cube idea hits a snag

 

If you reduced your new chook ambitions to two at a time a rabbit hutch and 3 x 6 folding run would do the job fine

[cockadoodle1]

Hi

I have just made a knock-down coop for the introduction of new girls into my flock.I made it out of OSB which is cheap and waterproof. It is about 1200mm by 600mm and will hold three comfortably. I used a roosting bar from the cube and made a small nesting area. The new girls took to it fine but that was where the fun started. Soon after it was installed the old girls decided to lay in there and not in the cube.When intergration time came and they all slept together (another story) I had to make a small nesting box which they all now use with the exception of Rosie our baby of the family. She gets a lot of stick from the rest of the flock so she finds solace in the cube. Bedtimes are fun, after two weeks I introduced them at night , after letting them see each other all day from either side of a net. All the old girls take it in turn to repel boarders at bedtime and I have to physically put the new girls to bed, Rosie being the last. Last night was the first night she went in on her own. It must have been the threat of no bedtime story. O happy days!

[Plum]

Sorry what is OSB

[Falkor]

Falkor is the master of making cube trains with sections in, hopefully she will be along with her wisdom soon

 

All aboard!!!!!!

This is my cube train - it is 9m but consists of three seperate runs. I have used additional door panels to seperate the sections which also means that I can open up the sections so it can be one big run. I access each run by side doors (again additional door panels in place of the standard side panels).

 

When it comes to new chooks and intos Redwing is right and they must spend at least a week in quarantine to ensure that they are healthy as you do not want to risk the health of your existing flock. For this quarantine period a rabbit hutch could be used or your existing eglu and run or a large dog crate (providing the mesh is not too big and you consider it sturdy enough to be fox/predator proof. They need to be a distance away during this period.

 

For the actual intros of two to two I would recommend doing it using the cube and 3m run as they will be in close quarters so hopefully get used to eachother fairly quickly. But it depends how handy you are.

 

There are a couple of options:

 

1. Purchase an additional door panel and section off 1m at the end furthest from the cube to be used by the two newbies.

2. Purchase a Rabbit Run or like this to put inside the cube run. You can buy plastic sheeting (Corrutherm?) from B&Q to put on top so the exising hens can get on top but can`t poop on the newbies heads.

For options 1 and 2 you would need access to both sections of run but if you only have one door panel this is not poss. However I have solved this by not doing the pclips up on the back under cube run panel and using this as a door. Run clips on one side and bungees and D clips to secure. It means you can get water and food into the main cube run and if you are a shorty like me and don`t mind a bit of crawling you can still get in the run.

 

The handy option:

3. Set up the cube run and construct your own smaller slimmer run along its length using weldmesh and wood. This could be inside or on the outside. Remember to but a lid in it so you can get food etc in and ideally a side door for the chooks so that they can get in and out when the time comes to mix them.

 

Each of these options require additional housing for the newbies and I have a couple of THESE. My two exbatt poorlies that came home from the last rescue fit in fine and could probably fit another in no problems. In good weather and depending on the condition of the batt you could probably get away with a decent sized cat carrier also.

 

Hope my ramblings make sense

[Stedic]

Thanks Falkor - you definately are an expert!

 

I was musing on using the final metre of the cube run, but I couldn't work out how to get to the old girls...you appear to have solved that with annoying ease. Could I use the Eglu in that space, or would it take up too much room? I'm a little concerned that a 1m square area is very small for two girls...is it ok because its just for a week (ish)?

 

The quarentine areas you have also seem small - again is this ok because its only for a short while?

 

I'd love to get some ex-batts - do they need extra quarentine time to adjust and get some strength up? I could probably afford to keep my Eglu classic for a little while and maybe even risk putting it on my grass, but any further rescues would have to use one of those runs you've suggested...again they're not very big are they?

 

Of course....for the same price as changing up to a cube, I could probably get a decent sized walk in run....hrm.

 

 

Steve

[Falkor]

You are right, you could probably buy or make a WIR for the price of the upgrade to a cube and it is more effective use of the space. The eglu will house 4/5 hybrids no probs although you may want to consider an additional nestbox option to avoid queing. You could also sell the eglu run and put the money towards the cost. I have a cube with cube run (train) for my bantams but my LF girls live in a cube a WIR. It is so much more versatile and easier to manage/clean.

 

If you put the eglu on a table with ladder down then you have additional floor space for the chooks.

 

Sorry.......I should of said that during both quarentine and intros my lot free range in their own fenced off areas so they are not in the run a great deal so the size of runs are not huge.

 

However I was laying in bed thinking about you last night ( don't tell my OH) and was thinking that with a bit of Falkor style niftyness and some cable ties you could probably take the cube run to 4m.

 

I am assuming that the space you have means that when considering purchasing the cube and 3m this is because you have had to allow for poo trays at back and door at the front. The clearance at the back for poo tray removal is a must but you could put a door on the side of the run so that you can add an additional extension to the end which could be butted up against the wall/fence etc. The place at the end of the run where the door panel normally goes could have a door panel in it of you could buy a piece of weld mesh and make an end yourself. If you do make it yourself then you will need a cube run support arch in place or make one with wood.

 

Do you integrate your ex-batts and hybrids? Have you had any problems doing that? How long do you need to give them to get back on their feet, before the hustle and bustle of flock life?

 

In reference to your question in you pm as quoted above I have mixed my batt girls with the rest of my flock and apart form feeding them mash rather than pellet they have been treated the same as any new chooks really. Batts often look ropey and are likely to have poor muscle tone so need space to build themselves up but they are BIG in personality and if anything it is my batts that are causing the issues during intergration. My two batts from our last rescue are already free ranging with the rest of them under supervision and take themselves back into the WIR at night but currently they sleep seperately as Necky can`t make the cube ladder on her own as much as she wants to. I have to stop her attempting it as I am paranoid that she will break something. Plus with her neuroligical issues she naturally tilts to the right so her sense of balance is OFF!It is Funny and scary to watch when she attempts to perch, run, flap, climb.

 

I think that because I have a fair few birds intros are a little easier as there is so much going on "Ooops, word censored!"ody can really get one of the others in her sights and bully her. Gin, my Orp and top chooks is a star and doesn`t allow any chasing or pecking unless she is the one doing it so she is quick to put them in their place if they start. With two on two intros you may find it all a bit more concentrated. My first intros were two on two (Orps to POL hybrids) and it took me twelve weeks which obviously did not include ex batt recovery time.

 

The how long question is a difficult one, quickest intro has been just under two weeks and longest 4 months + but these were not exbatts. It would give the ex batts a couple of weeks before attempting in your face intros but if you use a method similar to that below then there is no reason why you can`t get to stage 2 whilst they are building themselves up.

 

My intro process:

 

1. 1 week quarentine

2. Seperate runs in sight of each other with seperate free ranging

3. Seperate runs and free ranging with short periods of supervised mingling

4. Seperate runs with extended periods of free ranging

5. Seperate runs but everyone has access to both runs when FR

No 5 carries on for as long as required until they all go to bed together

when they are going to bed together

6. whip newbies out of cube first thing and back into their own run if not able to keep an eye

7. When able to supervise let them out of house and into run and keep an eye. If all fine then you have intergrated them but any issues other than soft putting in place go back a step.

 

At any stage you can go back a step or two. I find the longer you spend on each stage the more accepting they all are.

 

 

Ooooh I have rambled - off to work now.

 

If you more info from me I am happy to speak to you over the phone if you pm me.

 

Em

x

Edited July 13, 2010 by Guest

[cockadoodle1]

Sorry Plum osb is oriented strand board, available from Wickes and the like. It was the builder in me when I was posting.