Poo help please!

[amys garden]

Hi every one

We've had our girls nearly three weeks now and they seem very happy

free rangeing in our garden

However every time I leave them out there I am terribly worried about

Mr Fox!

So it's time to expand.... We have three girls at the moment in a

small hutchy/shack coop they seem perfectly happy in there n one has

Started laying

I'm on a very tight budget so my question is

Do I go for a new coocoon coop & run (£180) about 2-1/2 meters long

OR do I get my chippy neighbour to make a new (green) roof for

the old coop and build me a run to go with the old revamped coop

For £100 ? And how big shoul a three girl run be?

If I could I would get a cube.... But it ain't happening soon

Thanks

- Dottie the Barred Rock

- Hazel the Marran Cuvier

- Flo the timid Sussex White

[Olly]

I'm not clear what sort of coop you have at the moment. My advice would be to go for the biggest walk-in run you can afford (and fit in your garden) - you can always upgrade the coop later if funds allow, but having a safe run that gives your girls lots of space is the best bet - and who's to say that you might not want to add more hens later!

 

Around 1m sq per hen is a good guide - I have a 3m x 2m run with six hens in, they are fine but I wouldn't want any less space for them. If you have the run built to head height, not only will it make life much easier for you when cleaning out, refilling feeders etc, but you can create perches or put branches in the run to let them use the space upwards as well as sideways. Mine love perching on the dead rhododendron branches that I've propped in there.

[amys garden]

Thanks Olly for the advice I think I will go for that option

I've been looking at walk in runs and they love roaming round the

garden so much I'd feel awfull if they were shut up in a little space

We've been out pottering this morning Dottie following me round the

garden bug Hunnting

[Redwing]

The Cocoon houses arent great and will need treating with a quality wood treatment

 

You'd get better value for money from the chippy

[jackian]

I have wooden coups , would love an omlet one but funds don't allow ..But I have 4 chickens with a WIR 5m x 4m with corregated plastic for the roof to keep out the rain (if any ) and it is a sloping roof so that the rain runs off (what rain )

My lovely OH and I made it from spare wood etc., in a weekend .. and he is no carpenter but did a grand job.

I would rather spend my money on that and know that i have done my best to keep them safe .

[amys garden]

Hi guys I think I'm gonna keep the coop we've got and ask our neighbour to build

A walk in run

Those coocoon runs look really purty but the reviews are not at all good!

So thanks for all your advice it's relly helped me decide

I'll pop a pic up when we're done with the building

Enjoy the sunshine !

[heth1986]

I totally agree, I bought a cheapy wooden house and run when I started out and, even though I treated the pretreated wood myself, it still started rotting and moulding

 

Look forwards to the pics!