Topic: chickens in greenhouse

[biffabear]

Would there be any forseeable problems with keeping chickens in the greenhouse over winter ? I live in South Devon so it never gets too cold . It would be easier to look after them here than on the allotment until spring

[kt.]

Glass & greenhouses get really cold,  sometimes lower than the actual outside temperature.  There could possibly be an increased risk of your chickens becoming ill, but I am not 100% sure.  Not something I would do personally.  Mine stay in their cree at the plot all year round.

[teresa]

No problem at all, my youngsters, are in mine at the moment.
When waiting for hubby to put up another house and run my pullets were in the greenhouse over winter and laying no problems.
Cold is not the problem its heat winter sun can get hot in a greenhouse.
Use shading on the roof and first glass panes down from the roof either cool glass, watered down water based paints, or windowlean old fashioned type.
Wood shavings on the floor. a wooden bench for them to jump on and roost, mine use the bottom shelf of my work bench in greenhouse. Just use newspaper to catch droppings and change daily. I do put newspaper behind the bench as well changed weekly this catches moisture and droppings.
Open the door a inch or so in the morning to let air movement and close at night.  They will be fine.

[Old bird]

I have to disagree with Teresa I am afraid. 

I don't think that it is a good environment for chickens - not necessarily only   from the cold/ during the night/day type of thing but they do need a bit of peace and quiet, privacy and dark and I am sure that a fox would manage to put in a couple of panes of glass to get at them too.  They have no "hiding place" in a greenhouse - I am sure that short term it would not cause too many problems - but certainly - long term I would not think it is a good environment for them.

Old Bird :-\

[Philbasford]

Personally i wouldnt use a greenhouse for my girls!
it just doesnt seem as secure or as warm as a proper house, my girls go in the greenhouse in the day when they want to hide from the wet in the winter and are more then welcome to fertilise the soil ready for the next season

Shelter yes
house no

[teresa]

(do need a bit of peace and quiet, privacy and dark )
are you talking about nest boxes?
As for cold they do have feather duvets to keep them warm and will huddle together to keep warm in a greenhouse or hen house.
Hidding places? why?
If a fox gets in hidding will not help they smell them out.

[Old bird]

No Theresa - not just nesting boxes - just a quiet dark quiet place where they have some privacy!  I am not saying they are shy or anything but they do need corners where they don't necessarily feel "vulnerable"

In nature they do not stay out in the "open" as such they are generally within range of "cover" this is their natural state.  They choose to lay eggs when entirely "free range" in corners, hedges and hidden places - they don't generally "drop their eggs on the grass in the open"!  In nature they need to be aware of danger - not just from the ground - but from above they need to be aware of buzzards and birds of prey!  So all told they will feel "vulnerable" whether - as we know - they will be safe - because they don't know or understand that glass will keep out predators.

My chicken - at home - has the use of my greenhouse during the day to keep her out of the rain and where I keep her food.  I certainly don't keep her in it and going into the greenhouse is a choice she makes!

I can't think that any animal bird or even human would feel comfortable living entirely in a glass house except the Big Brother inmates!

Old Bird

 ;D

I know that chickens have feather duvets! But I still don't think that a greenhouse is a suitable place to keep chickens!



Of course I know how foxes hunt!  Not stupid - what I am saying

[teresa]

Oldbird your not stupid just passionate about your girls that a bid difference.

I was brought up in mid Wales on a smallholding and we had hens that would roost in trees as well as the barn where they could be locked up at night.
. They sometimes would lay under hedgerows a scooped out nest in bare earth, and go broody and sit on the eggs.
We would head count each evening and if one was missing would go round the hedgerow trying to find them some we found others we didnt but the fox would find them by morning they smell them out.
Then mum was finding a hen dead when she opened the barn up it had been killed thought a weesel stoat but one morning she found the black tom cat killing a hen ( a semi fedral cat she had taken in) so he ended up going to a farm with no hens.
So as I have 3 tom cats around ( neighbroughs) my girls are at home.
Lottie is too close to a park ( foxes) they are in hen houses with fixed runs I have 2 and the greenhouse for the growers.
The roof of the greenhouse is painted we do have sparrow hawks and red kites as well as crows so they dont see them.
All my girls have been hand raised by me via incubator so from being in the house and conservoty to greenhouse and when big enough into the runs.
I sit in the greenhouse with the pullets and they jump on my legs I check them over and they preen my hair.
I have two full grown hens that take it in turn to jump on my back  and have walked out of the hen house with  a hen on my shoulder which has made hubby laugh says I look like long john silver.
 I can bring a hen into the house wash its bum in the sink then blow dry it , cut nails etc and they have no fear I suppose I am mother hen to them. I talk to them and they talk back?

But this is normal for me I am very blessed with my girls.

[Old bird]

Theresa

I am glad that they aren't permanently kept in the greenhouse and that it is a staging home for them!

I think you understand my concern though and when you say that you have painted the roof then things like that are good but someone reading this thread may have thought that it was ok to keep chooks permanently in a greenhouse with no cover or anything apart from food or water!

Sounds like you have hundreds!

I couldn't eat any of my own - even if I did grow them for eating!  Complete wuss!

Old Bird

 :D

[teresa]

Oh Oldbird,
23 in total but 3 thingy's have to go 2 nearly good enough to eat, I cannot kill so have to have a friend to do the job.
They have had a good life better than the shop bought chicken.
We have to remember many people view these pages and some cannot afford the Eglu's or fancy chicken houses its fine if your handy with wood and screws and can make your own.
A old garden shed and run attached I started with and still use.
Hens need a dry and draught free house with ventalation, good hyiene standard and fresh food and water daily.
I get Dobson and Horrell food, Snowflake shavings ( they have anti bactieria added) and dust extracted straw for nestboxes.
They supply poo for the lottie and in return they get the leftover greens and weeds as well as the kale I grow now for them through the winter saves me buying cabbages?
This is the way I do it others do it differently.