What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[Isabel]

The recent wet weather has got the orchard looking a bit rough which has got me thinking, so can I have some advice please.

 

We have a wooden Maggie's henhouse from FSF with a run attached. The three hens f/r within an area enclosed by 50m electric fencing. Although we move it regularly and always incorporate an area of shrub bed, it's starting to make the grass look very tired.

 

What we could do for winter is this ...

 

We have a concrete area at the back of the garage - it's 1.5m wide and the length is the width of the garage - so wide and long enough for the house and run. If we put the house & run on the concrete and covered the run with something (what?), put aubiose or similar (very open to suggestions ) on the floor, then the girls have a sheltered, non-muddy area for winter. I can then loop the elec fencing around an area of the shrub bed directly adjacent to the concrete area/garage. However, this means they won't have grass - just flowerbed. Is this a really bad idea - it's a big bed full of shrubs so I'm not too worried about the plants, more the potential for a mudbath but my reckoning is they'll do that to a grass area before too long anyway.

 

Questions, therefore are:

 

1. Will this area be okay for them over winter (ie. concrete covered in aubiose or similar) and flowerbed but no grass area?

2. What would be best to cover the run with?

3. Should we cover the entire length of run (side & roof)?

4. If we do cover entire length, what can we rig up or how do we stop rain blowing in from open end and soaking bedding?

5. Rain seepage under sides of run - another problem - will wreck the bedding. Any suggestions? It definitely doesn't puddle in that area but there is a gradient towards a drain so there will be some sort of a run of water -

6. What's best to lay in the covered run - aubiose or woodchip? Did I read that barkchip is out? How often does it need changed and just how practical is it?

 

I'll probably be back with more questions but any answers will be much appreciated!!

 

Thanks

 

Isabel

[Plum]

Sounds a great idea.

 

In winter I mostly keep mine off the top grass and let them on the borders. In summer they get the grass but not the borders. So Yes sounds ideal.

 

You need to put some horse bedding or woodchip on the concrete and put something around the run to stop the bedding getting chucked around. I used that green plastic grass edging the 9" one held in place with bricks. To cover the run ikea clear shower curtains are cheap and do the job and can be held on with bungees.

[Plum]

Sorry forgot to say you need to keep an eye out for the direction the wind is coming from then put the cover over top and that side which leaves a some open for ventilation.

 

The bedding lasts about 3 months or so if you poo pick the worse daily.

 

If you think much rain is going to run in there then I would go for woodchip rather than other horse bedding. I used it first and it was good. I got the playground one from B&Q which is a bit softer than some but works well.

[scarlettohara]

Plum has covered everything and www.cotswoldchickens.co.uk sell really good henhouse run covers - I have 2 for my eglu

[sandyhas3chucks]

but "clear tarps" are just that clear, so let maximum light in.

They are strong . durable reasonable heavy so do not flap much have good strong eyelets for attaching.

and no I don't work for them or have shares

I "think" there are 2 companies that do them.!

[Isabel]

Thanks for all the suggestions - much appreciated. Good point about wind direction Plum - only problem is that if I turn the whole thing around to face away from the wind (ie. so as it hits back of henhouse) it won't fit on the concrete as snugly as nesting boxes would have to be against the wall, leaving only 20/30cm clearance which isn't enough when I need to lift them off for cleaning. I wonder if we went for a corrugated roof of some sort, could i create some sort of a 'porch-like' overhang to provide about 18" of shelter at the gated end of the run - that way the bedding/chip nearest the door/gate shouldn't get so wet? Thinking as I type here ... but then maybe an overhang of a couple of inches at each side so as the rainwater is directed off the sides? Then the clear tarp covering one side but leave the other side open for ventilation. Does that make sense or am I just rambling

 

The Cotswold covers look great Scarlet - I might ring on Monday to see if they'll be getting them in a clear colour - they say more colours coming soon. Would do the job quite nicely.

[Plum]

Sounds good