Is my pekin bantam male or female?

[CossallChickens]

Hi - sorry if this is a bit of a cheeky question to put on the Eglu site, but we are currently in a real dilemma about housing for our soon-to-be hens. We've pretty much decided against wooden housing, but we are finding it difficult to make a decision about which system of plastic housing. We like the Eglu Cube and the Solway, but the Solway site isn't all that informative. We intend to start with 4 hens and I can see us ending up with around 8. We are total novices at this so want something very very simple and very very foolproof! We live in a village so fox-proof housing is high on our list. Our two children age 5 and 8 are very keen on becoming invovled, so some housing which they would find easy to use in terms of letting hens in and out, collecting eggs etc would be great. If any of you have any opinions on the various plastic houses, particularly the Solway ones, we would be very grateful.

[chicken bark]

Solway houses are very sturdy but not attractive. I have a Solway Hen house rather than an ark which is the one you'd need to go for if you wanted 8 hens. Edited to clarify that you'd need the ark.

All plastic houses are easy to clean etc so I won't go into that.

 

Plus points:

Substantial

Run extensions are cheap

Very strong wire used in run

Spacious accommodation for the chickens

Easy access to eggs (my 3 year old does it)

 

Negatives:

On the ground - would be easier to clean if raised up

Needs two people to add extensions onto the run.

Access to the run is not great (for a person that is)

Hens need to be let into the run by a grown up as the pull is above the house.

 

If it was between a cube and a solway house I'd get a Solway one. It may be industrial but with perches rather than roosting bars it suits my needs better.

 

You could also consider Green Frog Design houses - these are brilliant but do not come with a run for the large house. I have 6 hens in my large GFD and there is room for a couple more at least.

 

HTH. I'd try to get to see them in the flesh if you can.

[CossallChickens]

Solway houses are very sturdy but not attractive. I have a Solway Hen house rather than an ark which is the one you'd need to go for if you wanted 8 hens. Edited to clarify that you'd need the ark.

All plastic houses are easy to clean etc so I won't go into that.

 

Plus points:

Substantial

Run extensions are cheap

Very strong wire used in run

Spacious accommodation for the chickens

Easy access to eggs (my 3 year old does it)

 

Negatives:

On the ground - would be easier to clean if raised up

Needs two people to add extensions onto the run.

Access to the run is not great (for a person that is)

Hens need to be let into the run by a grown up as the pull is above the house.

 

If it was between a cube and a solway house I'd get a Solway one. It may be industrial but with perches rather than roosting bars it suits my needs better.

 

You could also consider Green Frog Design houses - these are brilliant but do not come with a run for the large house. I have 6 hens in my large GFD and there is room for a couple more at least.

 

HTH. I'd try to get to see them in the flesh if you can.

 

That's really useful - thanks for your help! Certainly gives us a few more things to think about and I will look at Green Frog. Decision day is looming . . .

[Jools]

If you google "green frog poultry", you'll find a review of their housing on another forum - it's very highly rated.

 

Reading between the lines (on a couple of other forums), the Solway housing is more functional than eye-candy, so it depends on what your priorities are.

 

Good luck in choosing!!

[GardenChick]

Would you be able to attach Eglu Go run on Solway hen houses?