What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[Willow_Warren]

Hello...

 

I am having a bit of a dilema regarding housing!

 

Due to a rather more successful hatch at the end of last summer than I expected and a rather uncessful attempt at rehoming I now have 6 pekin hens... (from 3)

 

They are currently housed in an eglu with a standard 2m run and a 2x2m low level walk in run.

 

I am worried that they don't have enough space - (nest box space is of a premium especially as I'm often getting 5 eggs some days). They are also extra eager to get out in the mornings...

 

When I was only going to have 4-5 little hens I was going to keep the eglu and extend the run by 1 or 2 metres. However now I have ended up with 6 I am worried that the eglu is not big enough and I should upgrade to a cube! In my head I have £200 to £300 set aside for an upgrade, which should be enough for a second hand cube taking into account I would sell my eglu. However I have been completly unsuccessful in finding and consequently bidding/winning one on a well known auction site. A new one is so expensive...

 

I really just looking to see if anyone has opinions or suggestions?

 

Many thanks

 

Hannah

[mullethunter]

I know some people have had more than six sleep in one Eglu out of choice, but that possibly is pushing it by design. Maybe they'd be OK though if you just got something to act as an extra nest box? Mine have an enclosed cat litter box.

 

As for getting a reasonably priced second hand Cube, I found it was just a waiting game - probably took 6 months of serious looking before I got one for around £400 including 2m run.

[Olly]

The run size is the most important - at least 1 square metre per chicken, it sounds as if you have that area if I've understood your set-up? While the Eglu is designed for two or three hens I find that six fit in mine to sleep without any difficulty, and as said above people with larger flocks and two Eglus often find their hens choose to bundle in all together. However I don't close the Eglu door so they're able to get out as soon as it's light.

 

A full-height run gives you the option of having perches and is much, much easier for you to work in. I would focus on increasing the run size rather than the housing - you could always create an extra nest box with a bit of ingenuity, it just needs to be something dark that a hen can get into.

[Willow_Warren]

Well managed to win an and 2m run on eBay for just over £400, hope to pick it up at the weekend.

 

Just remembered I'll need to get the kit to attach the cube rub to the walk in run + extea covers hopefully will be quick and easy...

 

The next step will be to extend the run, maybe next month...

 

Hannah

[Luvachicken]

Glad you managed to get a cube on ebay

Don't forget to show us some pictures when you are done especially if they involve pekins

[mullethunter]

Hi Hannah. That's a pretty good price and similar to what I paid - well done and how exciting

 

I also have a Cube 2m run attached to a lo-rise WIR. Officially you can't do it so I don't think you'll be able to buy a connector, but I've used the WIR panel that was the connector to my Eglu Go run, against the end panel of the Cube run with the door removed, and run clipped / cable tied them together.

 

And yes - pictures please

[Willow_Warren]

Thanks for the advise about connecting, I'll keep my fingers crossed that I can connect the two.

 

Luvachicken: I see from your footer that you have pickins in your cube? Do they manage the ladder ok? I do have a couple of solid wooden ladders from rabbit hutches so I might be able to adapt something for them.

 

Hannah

[Luvachicken]

Mine have always had a home made ladder on top of the cube ladder.

They do only have little legs but lots of people have said that pekins can manage fine with the cube ladder.

I'd rather not take the risk having seen one fall down the cube ladder where they could have hurt themselves - luckily they didn't.

 

I will see if I can get a picture showing you what mine looks like - when DS finally wakes up

[mullethunter]

None of mine could sort out the ladder. I put a perch across the run just outside the Cube at door height and the pekins and Wyandottes fly up to the perch, shuffle along and hop into the Cube. I've also cable tied a mesh panel (piece of run skirt) to the ladder and my araucana bantam climbs up that.

[Willow_Warren]

Picked up the cube yesterday, (it was a tight squeeze in the car), but it's all back together now. Picked up, unloaded and put together all in just under 3 hours . (And only one broken nail)

 

Today we need to sort the ladder, attach to the walki-in run, rejig positioning. Photos to follow once we've done that...

 

Hannah

[Willow_Warren]

Here's a few photos:

 

The new eglu cube! by Willow_Warren, on Flickr

 

The new eglu cube! by Willow_Warren, on Flickr

Need a few extra rungs on the ladder (they struggled with the gap and kind of slid down)

 

The new eglu cube! by Willow_Warren, on Flickr

 

The new eglu cube! by Willow_Warren, on Flickr

 

The new eglu cube! by Willow_Warren, on Flickr

 

Primrose wanted to get into all the photos!!

 

Hannah

[mullethunter]

Looks good - and your Millefleur pekin looks exactly like my Bernadette

[Luvachicken]

All beautiful, cube and all

Sorry I didn't get round to doing the ladder photo for you - yours looks similar and I think with the extra rungs they will be fine.

 

Looks good - and your Millefleur pekin looks exactly like my Bernadette

She looks like my Polly too !!