2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[HennyPenny59]

Hi everyone

 

Ive got my 4 hens contained within 50m of electrified netting on grass, with their coop in there with them.

 

Even though they have a nice bit of space, I would still like to see them free ranging from time to time (when they can be supervised) in the rest of the garden, because it would be much more interesting for them .. But, do you think if I gave them a taste of this, they would try and fly over the netting to get into the rest of the garden whenever they wanted to?

 

Also, they wouldnt be able to have access to their coop when in the garden .. Would this upset them?

 

Im thinking that maybe I shouldnt even start to do this, what does everyone think?

 

 

Thankyou

[Ain't Nobody Here]

It's hard to know, each chicken is different so you'll not know till you try! I'd say 50m is a lovely big space and I'd be inclined to just leave them in there - remember that they'll trash the rest of your garden if you do let them in there (scratching up grass, kicking soil & stones everywhere, eating anything green ). They won't miss what they've never had!

[Mrs_B]

From my experience, I ended up having more troubles giving them more space then I originally intended. Because I was unable to let them out of their run all the time, I set up netting around the run and let them out when I could. It wasn't electric, so I had to be around as we have foxes.

 

I found that when they were not out in the netting and just in the run they started pecking eachother out of 'frustration' - which became a habit. I am still trying to fix this problem now, and have saddles on some chickens and have separated the group into two!

 

I am setting up a new area now, with electric fencing so I can let them out when I am not around. I would say as long as it isn't once in a while you may not have problems, but once they get the taste of something, they will keep wanting it! Maybe set up more things in that great 50m space they already have?

 

Hope that helps...

 

x

[HennyPenny59]

Thankyou for your replies ...

 

I think you have both helped me to realise that they are probably best kept within the netting .. Id sort of come to that conclusion myself, but just wanted other peoples opinions ... Its frustrating, as I think the romantic in me wanted to see them scratching around the part of the garden thats nearest the house, so I could be closer to them and watch their antics a lot easier.

 

Just wondering what I could put into their run to make it more interesting for them .. Apart from all the grass, all they have in there is a dustbath and obviously their feed trough, water and coop.

[Eggasperated]

Mine have an area of earth and hedge within their electric fence but adding logs and branches can give them something else to explore, as long as its not to close to the perimeter to give them an opportunity to jump over the fence.

[Lavenders_Blue]

It sounds to me like you are already providing chicken heaven. As has already been said, 50m of netting will provide oceans of space (ie more than my whole garden!!!). My hens have a fixed run and don't free range - I got fed up with them digging up the garden and pooing everywhere and now we have the dog they would be liable to get eaten In the run we have their coops, a dustbath, food and water and some logs and pallets for them to hop up and down on (they pretty much ignore these things ). We have woodchip flooring down so that the hens can dig and scratch but they would love grass and earth even more. We hang greens up such as cabbage, lettuce from time to time to give the girls something different to do. We also feed mash rather than pellets as it takes the hens longer to eat and keeps them occupied. My hens seem content, there is no bullying or squabbling and they don't pace the fence trying to get out.

[minieggs]

 

Just wondering what I could put into their run to make it more interesting for them .. Apart from all the grass, all they have in there is a dustbath and obviously their feed trough, water and coop.

 

Today I put a load of straw in to the run after refreshing their bedding, and they loved scratching around in it and tossing it everywhere

 

Your chicken area sounds lovely - i'm sure you have very happy chickens!

[Minnie&Moose]

Hi HennyPenny,

 

our chickens are behind a 25m electric fence most of the time. We let them free range in the rest of the garden when we're around and we've never had a problem with them re this arrangement. I clip their wings because certainly when young most of them could, and would fly, over the fence. But they don't seem frustrated or bothered by their varied routine - they obvious enjoy being out in the garden but often split their time between their run and the garden when allowed out.

[HennyPenny59]

Thankyou everybody

 

Ive decided after all your replies to keep them in. Ive got this horrible feeling that they would try and get out, especially Ruby and Blackie, so if I was out of the house, I would be worrying my little head off about a fox getting them, as we do have one (a large male) prowling the area. We caught him on a camera on our garage getting a shock off the fence last Thursday at 3am (Hens were all locked away safely in their house.)

 

Can I ask one more question to those people who keep their hens in an enclosure without a roof (such as electrified netting) ... Do you keep them that way all year, or do you move them into an area with a roof during the winter months?

[cyclonetog]

With my last lot I had an area fenced off for them probably similar in size to what your 50m netting gives you.

 

They were in that area all year with no roofing. The area did however contain bushes and trees where they spent most of their time whatever the weather was doing at the time.

 

Basically, when it rained they got wet, needlessly. The Eglu was never closed to them and there were dry parts under some of the thicker trees.

[Lavenders_Blue]

My hens live in their open run all year round. Their coops are the wooden ark type coops (roosting area and nest box above an integral run) one of which has perspex panels on the sides to stop the rain getting in. They shelter under there when it is raining. Otherwise they are exposed to the elements all year round. The downside is that the ground can get very churned up and muddy when it is wet, but a load of woodchip from the tree surgeon helps sort that out.

[Eggasperated]

My OH has made some square pens about 1.5 x 2m which have covered roofs and are about 1m tall. These provide the hens with shelter from bad weather and also from the sun, plus they have the added advantage of doors so we can shut them in there if we want to do some work in the enclosure or need to catch them easily for health checks.

They do also have a hedge to get under and also a tarpaulin over the coop run so lots of place to choose to shelter in.

[HennyPenny59]

Hubby was saying last night that he wouldnt mind the challenge of building them a WIR ... This WIR would be right outside my kitchen door, so im thinking its going to be so much easier for me to maintain in the winter months, as it will have a roof and woodchip on the floor etc, and not be open to the elements, plus I wont have those wet squelchy treks to the top of the garden!

 

Im going to keep the hens within the electrified netting for as long as I can, and move them into the WIR when the more severe weather starts kicking in, or if there is non-stop rain .. I guess on good days I can pick them up and put them out to grass for a day which im sure they'll love.

 

Now all ive got to do is to find strength of mind NOT to buy some more hens when I am looking at the empty WIR, especially after visiting the National Poultry Show in November