Topic: Returning to poultry... :)

[Isleworth]

When I was living at home with my Parents we had a huge garden and I kept various different Breed's of Chicken along with Peafowl and various aviary birds, but everything had to go when I left home to move in with my partner.

Been five years since I last kept Poultry and have just received permission from the council to build a coop and keep laying hens on my allotment :) Going to start off with 3 pol Warrens to test the water i.e. Vandals, Kids, Complaints etc... and see how we go.


Really looking forward to getting back to eating real fresh eggs and the ups and downs of poultry keeping!

 

[kt.]

I am so pleased having my hens.  Wouldn't be without hens now.  I am sure you will be pleased with yours too.

[Rosyred]

Hello,

I'm not far from you only in UB6. Good luck with the chickens they are good fun.

[Patrick King]

go for it, go grab a bunch. then another then another  ;D you wont stop wanting more.

[mark45]

thats what i wanted a allotment for, but we not allowd to keep live stock on our allotments anymore cropping only now,so i grow crops now only, but i got my racing pigeons in my back garden at home

[Isleworth]

 :) Thanks for all the replies...

Hen house/coop is now ordered! No luck finding a second hand one locally and they were going for silly money on eBay so decided to buy one in the end... Saw one I liked for a good price so decided to go for it :)

This is the house/coop I have ordered:

Still a fare bit of work to do before I go and pick up some hens i.e. Level off the area, Lay the paving slab edging and put the coop together. Extension to the pen will be done after I'm up and running as I need to wait for the next pay day before I spend anymore money on the allotment LOL.


Barlbylofts: It's funny how the rule 'No Livestock' can differ depending on the allotment, our rules state: No Livestock may be kept on allotment site *With the exception of Hens & Rabbits.

I think this is because they used to be kept more often for food in towns and cities and therefor are not classed as pets. Might be worth you checking what you site owners class as "Livestock"... Just a thought.


Cheers,

IsleworthTW7

[Patrick King]

haha i was looking at the same coop/run on ebay last night for my garden. but i decided on making one as i didnt think it was big enough for the chooks i keep.

how many chickens you thinking of putting in there?

[Isleworth]

Planning on 4 Isa Brown/Warren hens... Not sure if you know but they do a bantam one aswell which is slightly smaller.

This one is 6.5 ft x 2.5 ft x 3.5 ft width incl nest box x depth x height, think it should be ok for 4 Warrens



Got this one for £175.99 including delivery... only catch is that it won't be dispatched until August as it's a pre-order price.
Usual eBay price is supposed to be £299 when they have them in stock so seemed like a good deal ;)

[Patrick King]

yeah that run will be ok for 4 chickens. i only brough the size up as i have seen the exact one being advertised to house 8-9 large birds :o insane.

any how the 4 should love it in there.

[kt.]

Looking good.  A mansion for 4 hens.  Penthouse. ;D

[Jitterbug]

Oh - what a lovely chicken coop  ;D ;D

I have really been shocked seeing the small ones that the poor chickens live in - I cannot believe a metre per chicken is enough! 

But seeing this one I am really interested and yes, I know it is an expensive outlay but at least you know that your chickens will be safe and happy which is really why we get to keep our own chickens in the first place.

We are allowed chickens on our allotments and I even phoned our council to check if I could keep them at home - and I believe that I can - so am toying with the idea of keeping them at home or might have to wait until I get another half lottie so that I can keep them there. ??? ???

Can you tell me what they are called or let me have the website address so that I can go and look and order one myself.  Guess what is going on my christmas list.... ;)

Jitterbug

[Kendy]

Quick search on ebay and here it is :-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Chicken-Poultry-coop-CAT-Hen-house-Rabbit-Hutch-047_W0QQitemZ360070507003QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item360070507003&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1308

Am also thinking hens and like the look of the Eglu from Omlet.   A bit more expensive but looks easy maintenance

[Isleworth]

Am also thinking hens and like the look of the Eglu from Omlet.   A bit more expensive but looks easy maintenance

Hi Kendy,

Only problem I have with the Eglu is that they are expensive & light weight which makes them easy to steal and very resellable on places like eBay...

Not much good for the allotment environment.


Regards,

TW7

[Jitterbug]

Thanks for the web address - how many chickens do you think could live comfortably in this house.  Also, could I put a turkey in with them. 

Guess what's on the top of my Christmas list to Santa this year??

Jitterbug

[Kendy]

Am also thinking hens and like the look of the Eglu from Omlet.   A bit more expensive but looks easy maintenance

Hi Kendy,

Only problem I have with the Eglu is that they are expensive & light weight which makes them easy to steal and very resellable on places like eBay...

Not much good for the allotment environment.


Regards,

TW7

True - was thinking more of putting in my rear garden rather than allotment.  Very secluded with 8ft solid wooden fence and bushes/shrubs etc. 

[Patrick King]

Thanks for the web address - how many chickens do you think could live comfortably in this house.  Also, could I put a turkey in with them. 

Guess what's on the top of my Christmas list to Santa this year??

Jitterbug

2-3 chickens maybe 4 at a push. but a turkey would out grow that quick.

[Old bird]

Hi Kendy

I have one chicken running loose in my rear garden which is well fenced.  She doesn't ever try to get out and her house is in my shed! (She was part of my intake of 12 ex batts who got injured and had to have some TLC)

She is just so sweet and is no trouble whatsoever!  She is clearing the garden of slugs and snails too!  She enjoys the company of my dogs and myself and is pretty entertaining!

I don't consider it necessary to spend a fortune - unless you have one to spend - in which case spend away - on housing for them is my actual drift said in a roundabout way!

Old Bird
 ;D

[Kendy]

Would want something secure to protect against foxes though and it would seem the Eglu is ideal for a garden.

The wooden one looks better for an allotment though - would be easy to use it as your base coop and build extended runs off it.  It does seem a good price -  have seen some of the wooden coops of a similar size costing more that an Eglu.

[Old bird]

Kendy they are secure at night and where I live it is pretty suburban so there are no foxes here during the day.  they are certainly around at night time but my chook is away in the shed by then!

Good luck with whatever you choose tho!  I think those eglu things do look lovely and I would think they are fairly cosy for the hens too!

Old Bird

 ;D

[Kendy]

Reading some other posts re this type of coop.  I get the impression that the way to keep foxes from digging under is to lay paving slabs all round the outside edge ?  Sounds an excellent idea. 

That might work in my garden especially if I put woodchip under the coop itself but design it so we could lift the coop out to replace the chippings occasionally.  And I just happen to have some paving slabs spare !

What about red mite in the wooden ones  ? The easy cleaning (with a pressure washer) is a big selling point for Eglus.

Mind you, my father had large chicken huts on his multi-plot allotment and can't recall it being an issue.  Do remember him hitting a rat with a spade once !