Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[SuburbanChick]

I still haven't got my chickens - long story - but I have been wondering if I should aim for a WIR? I've been looking at all the wonderful photos of your WIR's

 

I have two questions. Firstly am I worrying too much about space for 3-5 chickens? I live in a big city and wonder how many people keep happy hens in a Cube with an extended run? After reading all the stories about foxes, I'm not sure anymore that I'd let my chickens free range.

 

Secondly, if you have a wooden WIR do you have to watch for red mite/treat the wood etc. or is that only necessary in a coop where the chickens roost overnight?

 

I'm probably overthinking here but I would want the best for my chickens!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm probably a bit complacent because I've never had red mite but I don't ever look out for it in my WIR. I understand that they like dark crevices where they have access to warm bodies at night ( ) so they're more likely to live in coops.

 

I too live in a big city and have hens in a WIR. They do get to freerange (mainly because there's house building going on over my fence and the foxes are unlikely to run the gauntlet of diggers etc) but they'd be very happy in the WIR all day too (that'll probably happen when it starts getting darker earlier).

 

A lot of people start with an Omlet run then move onto a wooden WIR so you could easily miss that step out!

[Patricia W]

As ANH says they like dark places. I've actually found them lurking in the clips that keep the Omlet run together! But the WIR seems fine. If I'd know about WIR before I got my chickens I'd have gone straight to one.

[Chortle Chook]

If you have foxes and you have room for a WIR I'd certainly go for that right up front. Not only would that benefit your 3-5 chickens but you might want to add more . In fact you'd be a very rare Omleteer if you didn't

 

As for the red mites in the WIR, I suppose it is a possibility, but if your chickens are being put to bed at night which is when the little devils come out to do their vampire work, you really would not need to worry.

[Snowy]

If you do get red mites, they will lurk wherever the chickens roost, not necessarily in crevices. Some of my hens roost out in the run on perches and I found red mite clustered around the ends of the perches. Regular soaking in Total Mite Kill keeps them at bay.