Topic: Keeping chickens advice

[deckchairblue]

Got a new allotment and would like to keep some birds on it, from reading my tenancy contract i can devote as much space as I want to on my 250m2 plot.

So..... how big a coop and run would people suggest I get to house between 5-10 birds ?
Would they be happy having their coop and run or will they need an area outside of this as well ?
Can anyone recommend somewhere to get a coop and run from ?

thanks for all advice

Matt

[sunloving]

Hi Matt
How exciting!
First of all check you really need that many. For instance Ive got 3 adult girls who mostly lay an egg a day that gives me 21 eggs a week. aside from about a ten week period when i get 1 or 2 eggs a day rather than 3 for moulting and winter days. If all your girls lay then you could have as many as 70 eggs a week.

 How big a run,  well as big as you can really especially going into winter i would say at least a meter or 4sq each bird.They are going to turn a run thats to small into a muddy quagmire in months. You could try three birds and see how it goes in terms of harm to the run and eggs and then take it from there.
If you are having them on the plot then having a high coop opening and a rickety ramp or a time lock door is essential to keep them safe from foxes.

Hens are fab and im sure you are going to have lots of fun with them and eggs!!
good luck.
ps there are two really good forums the poutry keeper and the poultry garden for all sorts of hen advice and finding girls local to you.
x sunloving

[deckchairblue]

Thanks for the advice sunloving, i think your right and 5-10 may be a tad excessive :)

i am in two minds over either having a run (most ive looked at have been around 6ft by 3ft. or fencing off a large part of my plot for them, the main problem being im not sure i could make a fenced off section completely safe ? ie would it have a roof or not.

i will check those sites out.

thanks

matt

[pumkinlover]

YOu need to bury the wire netting in the ground by at least a foot, and a roof is preferable unless the fence is really high. Foxes are unbelievably good at finding out any weaknesses.

[deckchairblue]

If i'm having the chickens at my allotment and closing them into their coop at night, would i still have to worry about foxes ? would the activity of the allotment (which is in the middle of a residential area) not deter foxes from doing anything ?

[sunloving]

Foxes are blatant especially in the winter. Have a look at hugh fernlys coops on stilts. Me and my freind both keep hens in a similar area mine have a high coop opening which is open on all nights but the very stormy and a rickety ramp and  in three years i've not lost one to a fox, she has a opening 1ft off the ground that she shuts herself, on the handful of nights in 3 years shes forgotten to close it she has lost hens to the fox this means that she has had more than 15 hens in the same period as i've had 3.

If you can do this even just put an ordinary coop on legs it will make all the difference and those winter days when you are full of flu you wont have to worry about it.
good luck with it girls are lovely to have. I have mine out in the garden all day and in an unfenced roost at night they are fabulous.
x sunloving

[goodlife]

I would not rely on ordinary chicken wire for protection against foxes on its own. To keep your girls secure you either need double layer on lower down on the fencing or have one with smaller 'eyes' such that chickens are not able to put their heads through.
I have 'ordinary' chicken wire as fencing around my allotment and foxes do chew through it quite easily.. ::)..but if you use smaller 'eye'..they are not able to push their nose through for chewing..nor are chickens to able put their heads through and end up being headless...like did happen for few chickens on our allotments.

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would the activity of the allotment (which is in the middle of a residential area) not deter foxes from doing anything ? Nope..activity on the area won't deter foxes. We are on middle of the residential area and our foxes are regularly seen doing their business without any effect of passers by. One fox  regularly take its midday nap on sunny spot in the neighbours plot..snoring away in full view  ;D..while I'm working another side of the wire fence, few meters away  ::)..every now and then, when I happen to make some louder noise, lifting its head up to check the situation and dropping its head down again when there is nothing to be alarmed about.. ;D Just like lazy dog  ;D
Burying fencing down to prevent foxes the way in by digging is must..or if you have spare slabs, 'drop' row around, outside the fencing. Even better if you are able to to do both. Don't leave anything nearby what they can use as 'platform' for climbing or jumping higher up..if those cannot be removed you have to cover their pen to stop access in from above. They are stupid enough to go in even if they can't get out..but it will be certain death for your girls.
All our advise may sound bit over the top...but trust me, they are very clever and quick to work out weaknesses in your set up.

[deckchairblue]

Hi guys, i think I'm going to get an eglu with a 3m run, then fence off a section of the plot for them to roam in during the day.

My plan would be to either dig in some corrugated sheeting or use the slabs as well as burying the fencing in. Somebody advised to use weld-mesh rather than normal chicken netting, but Ive also heard that its best to keep the fencing loose because this makes it harder for anything to climb over ?

Thanks

Matt

[sunloving]

I agree about the loose wire fencing it stops the girls from balancing on the top and then flying on to. I used it early on when i wasnt sure how safe my hedges were i found that the rigid and wood topped fencing i spent ages making and looked great the cats jumped on the top then into the enclosure! and the hens did the same in the other direction. With wobbly slap dash sections neither could do it.

Foxes are mostly a problem between dusk and early morning so having a good door on the coop or having the door high up with an unstable ramp is essential.

Eglus are super expensive but have not so many crevices for the dreaded mites to hide in and are easy to clean with a hose. But i would say so long as you keep on top of the cleaning and mites then there is no reason not to have a cheaper wooden roost. Ive been saving my pennies for one of these that i'm going to put on stilts ..http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270867656973?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

xsunloving