Stoat killed hens asleep in the Eglu

[Melbourne12]

We are just planning to start with chickens, and I'm preparing a site in the garden. We've been offered a coop and walk in run by one of our fellow allotment holders, who is an experienced chicken keeper, but who crowds his birds in a bit too much for our liking.

 

The run would be perfect for our (small) garden, and is approx 15m2, but the coop is designed to house a dozen full sized chickens, and we're thinking more like 4 or maybe 6. The chickens will be able to free range when we're at home, since there's nothing precious in the garden (only shrubs and a rough lawn) but even then they'll only have about 50m2.

 

Our worry is that the coop will be TOO big, and may get too cold in the winter. May we ask the collective wisdom of Omlet for advice, please? I could partition the coop with an internal wall if that would be effective?

[scarlettohara]

They huddle up together whatever the coop size so I wouldn't worry

[Daphne]

Agreed - the birds won't find it a problem and it is far better husbandry as you suspect to give them more room rather than less. Also, some houses are somewhat *excitable* with their sizing estimates

[jill the potter]

and of course you will then be well placed for when you get the inevitable 'morehens' disease!!!

[ThinkingChickens]

Even in our Eglu Go the girls use just one fourth of the space and there are three of them. They practically sleep on top of each other.

[Melbourne12]

Thanks for the reassuring advice! We've agreed the deal, so in the near future there'll be some disassembling and reassembling going on. We've been promised some young birds from someone who incubates and hatches their own chickens, so within a couple of months we should be good to go!

 

I don't want to rush things - I'd rather make sure that the run is properly assembled and foxproof so that we get the best possible start. We're going to do a beginners' course, too.