Mamade marmalade - what is nice to add to it ?

[Andrea]

We are eagerly awaiting two ex battery hens who are arriving Saturday. We haven’t had chickens before and are trying to decide the best place for the Eglu go and run in the garden. If we leave it on the hardstanding with woodchip as a base does it need a layer of something under the concrete ? Any suggestions greatly appreciated 😊

[Cat tails]

How exciting! Keeping chickens is very addictive!

Woodchips on concrete would be fine, if you don’t mind them chucking out the chips. It does make for easier cleaning. How many chickens are you planning to keep in your run? 

[mullethunter]

Yep, wood chip on the concrete is a good way to go. 

[Andrea]

Thanks for your reply.  We are Just having two hens as the coop and run arnt very big in my opinion. I’m hoping the two will be fine as some have said three would be better. But Fingers crossed 🤞 

We were talking about them kicking stuff out but unless we attach something along the bottom sides of the run I’m not sure how to get around it. 

[Cat tails]

Three is easier in the long run. When one dies, you are not left with a single hen, which is much harder to integrate with new hens than two.

But I think I wouldn’t put more than 2 in that run. They will be fine as a pair.

I think you could use that plastic band stuff you can also use to keep borders in place.

[Andrea]

Yeh it’s a 2 meter run and they will be let out a couple of hours a day for a peck about once there settled. I’ve been looking at extensions and walk in runs already lol 

[Luvachicken]

You can get great hard wood woodchips from Flytes of Fancy - last a very long time too.