Fee Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 Can I have an opinion from people who know about chickens on the chicken house in this ad? http://www.pampurredpets.com/Instore_Offers.html Does that look big enough/adequate for (say) two or four chickens? It seems very cheap, but maybe it's too small? Getting some battery chickens has been a bit of a pipe dream because I don't think we have space, but it's something I'd love to do one day. We're just about to knock down a couple of old sheds so could (just about) fit in something like this, but I am concerned the chickens wouldn't be happy being so confined. Letting them free range with my dogs unfortunately isn't an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 I can't see any where that says what the dimensions are there are DEFRA guidlines as to the stocking density for poultry, and it's a lot more than you'd think, from the pic I'd guess the run won't be enough for birds in there full time, but perhaps because they will be ex batts and not used to a lot of room it will be ok. You need to find out how thick the wood it's built from is, some of this type are imported from China and are useless in our climate, find out what it's roofed with, it looks to me like roofing felt, which should be avoided like the plague as it harbours Red Mites, which you really don't want to get, in extreme cases it can kill your birds. I'd also suggest getting three birds as a minimum, this means that if one dies there are still two for company, hens don't do well on their own. Why not have a look on E Bay ? there are still rubbish ones but there are some good ones too, I'm sure we could all help you choose a decent one or, have a look locally, sometimes you can get really good ones made, anywhere that does garden sheds (which a lot of people use) should be able to make you a coop and run, just make sure they use Onduline on the roof and not felt, and that there is good high up ventilation, hens can get ill very easily if the coop isn't airy enough. If you look at some of the poultry sites you'll find all the info you need, you don't even need to join to do a search, it really will pay to swot up on the housing before you buy, you'll save yourself and your hens a lot of trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sproggie14 Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 I basically echo what celeste has said. I'd like to see dimensions but my gut feeling is not big enough for a permanent home. You're much better off making something to be honest eg making a simple mesh frame to attach to a shed. You get much more space for your money that way. We had red mites and they killed our last two girls Nasty things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnbecks Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 I have that chicken house for my two ferrets. I consider it too small for them and am looking into getting a bigger one. No experience of chickens but it is smaller than i thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 I like this one E Bay the only thing with this one is the slightly awkward looking nest box access. You also need to consider what will be on the run floor, if you cant move it regularly the ground will become "poached" very quickly and will be a breeding ground for disease/flies/intestinal worms, so you would need some sort of surface you can change or clean, if they will be there all the time I'd suggest something like wood chippings (not bark which can harbour a fungus harmful to hens airways ) there are other alternatives but you can cross that bridge when you come to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Posted July 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 Thank you - I had a feeling that it probably wouldn't be adequate, I guess you probably get what you pay for. I showed my OH and he reckons he could build something much bigger and stronger, so that might be a better option then it could fit the space we have exactly. I shall probably be back for more advice on chicken house design and building materials! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 I showed my OH and he reckons he could build something much bigger and stronger, so that might be a better option then it could fit the space we have exactly. I shall probably be back for more advice on chicken house design and building materials! Brilliant, that really would be your best option, if you want I can take pics of the inside (and out) of my coop so you'll have something to work from. Are you certain they couldn't get out with the dogs ? I thought the same about Spud and Daisy, they are both committed rabbit hunters and are pretty efficient at it too, but it only took a few days for them to get the idea the hens weren't on the menu, it did cost a small fortune in bacon and cheese mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Posted July 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 Brilliant, that really would be your best option, if you want I can take pics of the inside (and out) of my coop so you'll have something to work from.Are you certain they couldn't get out with the dogs ? I thought the same about Spud and Daisy, they are both committed rabbit hunters and are pretty efficient at it too, but it only took a few days for them to get the idea the hens weren't on the menu, it did cost a small fortune in bacon and cheese mind Pictures would be brilliant Pretty sure the three lurchers couldn't be trusted with loose chickens, although I will try to de-train them. Possibly if they get used to the chickens in a run for a while they might accept them loose - but Jess is a committed bird-hunter and has killed a blackbird and a starling in the garden over the last few days We also get a lot of foxes round here. I'm going to do a lot more research and reading up before making a final decision to go ahead, I want to be absolutely sure we can do it properly and give the chickens enough space and a decent life. I suspect I'll be back with another load of questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 Pretty sure the three lurchers couldn't be trusted with loose chickens, although I will try to de-train them. Possibly if they get used to the chickens in a run for a while they might accept them loose - but Jess is a committed bird-hunter and has killed a blackbird and a starling in the garden over the last few days We also get a lot of foxes round here. Thats what I did, I kept them in their pen for the first week, walking the dogs round and round until they were bored stiff with the hens, then sat with them on the bench when the hens were out armed with cheese, bacon and a clicker. Just let me know when you'd like the pics. I wish I'd gotten hens sooner, I have quite severe Crohns Disease, but since having the hens my health has been significantly better, I just get so much out of pottering about looking after them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted July 12, 2009 Report Share Posted July 12, 2009 I know they're expensive but if space is limited and there is a fox problem you can't really beat an Eglu from Omlet. You could get one a bit cheaper second hand on Ebay. Put the run on some paving slabs so the fox can't dig under and use woodchip on the base of the run. The woodchip will need changing every few months but it's brilliant in runs because the poop just falls through to the bottom. Because it's not made from wood the risk of red mite is severely reduced and it's really easy to clean. If they can't freerange three girls would need the run extender too because the one that comes with the Eglu is too small. Chickens are the best pet on earth, everyone should have at least three in their garden. They're amazing and there are no negatives to keeping them at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Posted July 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2009 Wow, I've just had a look at the Eglu houses and runs, they look amazing. Not cheap, but I'm guessing they will last longer and need less maintenance than a wooden chicken house, and they look very easy to clean which is a big consideration. I like the look of the cube with the extended run http://www.omlet.co.uk/products_services/p...iew=Eglu%20Cube It looks very small for the 10 chickens they mention on the website, but I'm only thinking of 3-4 chickens anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted July 12, 2009 Report Share Posted July 12, 2009 10 chickens could sleep in the cube very easily but the run is really only big enough for four or five if they're not free ranging. Chickens snuggle up together to sleep so they don't need that much room. The Eglus and Cubes hold their value incredibly well, Ebay proves that. The Omlet forum is great too, I learnt loads there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Posted July 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2009 Hmmm, this is going from a 'wouldn't it be nice one day' to a bit of an obsession now I've spent much of the day looking at chicken coops and runs. Although I love the look of the Eglu I've decided it would be better to have a walk-in height run, so that I can interact with the hens more easily if I'm not able to free-range them. We could build it in a long narrow strip down one side of the garden, so it would be about 15ft x 6ft - does that sound reasonable for 3-4 chooks? I could possibly use an Eglu nesting box inside that, but I can also see arguments for having a coop that you can walk into so you aren't standing outside cleaning it out in the winter. Quite a lot of people seem to convert garden sheds, but I guess you'd have to be careful about insulation and roofing, and also treating the wood to discourage mites and diseases? Eglu run some one-day chicken-keeping-for-beginners courses which are only about £15 and look as though they'd be useful for a complete novice like me - has anyone been on one and was it any good? I've just signed up to a chicken-keeping forum and will have a look at the Eglu forum, but any other recommendations for good sources of advice and information welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted July 12, 2009 Report Share Posted July 12, 2009 I don't know what the Omlet course entails but I do know they do very good courses at Cotswold Chickens near Banbury which is where I got my first ladies from and I'm going back there in September for the Kill, Pluck, Gut & Bone course. Aside from the Omlet forum I've found Practical Poultry and Bluelaced very useful forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesB Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 I so glad you are 'considering' chickens, it's so exciting to have another chicken convert As a complete novice I found the ex-battery hens forum very useful: Ex-battery hens forum and also this oneThe Poultry Keeper and this one: Practical Poultry magazine forum: Practical Poultry Magazine forum There is so much to think about Some of the forums have threads where people have posted pics of their set-ups, which i found useful. There is a pic of mine in the chicken thread, although we are building an extension to the run so the girls can have their side of the garden and I can have mine. If I have to leave mine in the coop/run all day I put bits of fruit in and hang lettuces etc up for them to peck so they are not bored: Chicken thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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