chicken newbie

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We have done our research about keeping chickens and have a great place for them but are undecided about which coop to buy. There are so many options on the market.

Is one with a built in run better? Should it have an opening roof? Is a wooden roof better than a felt one?
Is it better to go cheap to start with and expand with more experience?

It is a minefield and I dare say once we are an established chicken keeper all these questions will become clear but would like to have an experienced view before we purchase. Also we do have a lot of wind where we are would that be a definate no no to keeping chicks?

Any information anyone experienced can give would be much appreciated.
 
I'd start with a second hand coop as the cheap new ones are rubbish -faults to numerous to mention. Then go on to a good plastic coop to best protect from red mite later. Keep the old one, you will find it invaluable in the future.

A separate run is better in my opinion. Runs with coops built in are always too small for the capacity of the coop. Easier to move them if separate as well.

Opening roof is a pain when clearing out or collecting eggs in the rain. Side door is best but not practical for a small coop. Make sure you can get right through it -some are far too small.

Wind for hens or chicks is no good -they absolutely hate it. You will need to provide shelter from it.

We started with Pedigrees -Orpingtons. One sound initial decision. Hybrids are short term egg machines only. OK for commercial purposes but not domestic, unless you can handle the subsequent despatch and replacement when they stop laying or lose their feathers and freeze in Winter (we tried knitted jackets).

Don't like to mention it at this stage but I will and hope you never have to use it. Buy a proper despatching tool -the wall mounted type. Accidents can happen and you may have to use it to avoid the hen suffering any more than necessary.

Best of luck. Lots of pleasure to come.
 
Many thanks for your replies. Will look at that site Marigold and take in what you say too chrismahon. Also thanks for the tip on the despatching tool. Hadn't thought that far but obviously necessary.
 
I agree with much of what chrismahon says, eg the separate run with free standing house, good opening provision, and shelter from wind and rain. but would like to add the following;

-Be very careful if you buy a secondhand coop, as you may well be introducing redmite on to what is probably a clean site at the moment. You can keep it that way with a new coop and good cleaning practices. I'd say choose carefully and get it right from the start. I see no point in buying something you intend to be a stopgap, which will be a waste of money in the long run. A good plastic coop won't cost the earth, will be very satisfactory and longlasting and won't need replacing.

- shade at all time of day as the sunlight moves round is essential, and hens will almost always choose it over sunshine. If no trees etc in the run, fix tarps to the run mesh or provide other places for them to hide away from the heat.

-Hybrids are excellent for your first birds, unless you already have your eye on particular purebreds. Hybrids are calm, friendly, gentle birds, hardy and healthy if you get them from a good source, and prolific egg layers, which is what most people want when they start with chickens. They may not live as long as some purebreds, but certainly won't need knitted jackets unless you get ex-batts with no feathers. As your experience grows, and when the hybrids have run thier course (3-4 years probably) you can get something a bit more fancy if you want to. If you get different sorts of hens, all the eggs will be different shapes,sizes and colours and you'll know who has laid that day. Try to get them all from the same place at the same time, as it will be more difficult to introduce new hens to the group, even after only a few days. Chickens can be really horrible to newcomers!

Yes one day you'll have some hard decisions to make, whatever breed you get, and no hens live very long. but if you just have a small flock of what are esentially pet birds, who have become members of the family, you may decide you prefer to take your birds to the vet when the end comes, to be put to sleep peacefully rather than doing the deed yourself. i tried culling a hen myself - once - and decided never again. Setting up with hens is expensive enough without buying execution equipment before you've even got your hens!
 
Good point by Marigold. Red mite introduction is a big risk so perhaps a new coop or a second hand one that's been creosoted, as ours had.

So far only one hybrid of ours has got to 3 years (little Annie Black Rock) and she lost all her feathers and shed her whole egg system- presume no eggs left- at 2 years, as did one of her sisters. But she made it through last Winter after being brought in overnight several times. We have another now at 18 months has moulted with no sign of feathers regrowing. She is still laying though and happy (but cold).

Introducing new hens is always problematic. But basically quite simple with patience, which is one occasion when your spare coop with a run would be helpful/ essential.

Our nearest vet is 12 miles cross country. Takes 30 minutes at least to get there and you need a pre-booked appointment. Its a lot of unnecessary stress for a seriously ill bird. The vet told us that the lethal injection was painful for them in itself and advised us to despatch ourselves if we could, in the best interest of the bird. It is emotionally very hard to do and better a two person job. But it was one of the first pieces of equipment we bought, especially after the 6 week old Orpington chicks arrived and we realised they were as yet unsexed.
 
Great advice. Just to add to it avoid felt roofing where possible. When dismantling our old hen house hubby wanted to remove the roofing felt (was still good) to use elsewhere & we found the area between the roof & the felt was thick with redmite (ideal place for them to multiply & live as it was inaccessible to us).

Sadly we replaced it with a cheap, imported house instead of waiting & saving for something better or even making our own. We've had it for around a year & it's been on it's last legs for a while now, am constanly having to re-screw boards down, the removeable side is so warped it no longer fits properly, the pop hole door won't close in damp weather, the nest box roof is warped & only stays down because we keep it locked, have replaced the nest box floor as it split.... At the mo am saving up to either buy materials to build our own (well that's the plan though my DIY skills aren't great & I have little time because of family commitments) or failing that buy a ready-made house (or even a shed to convert).
 
Welcome Magchick, I built my own hen house with a separate run so that my girls have plenty of space to run around and stretch their wings etc... I made it out of tonge & groove floorboarding(to stop any draughts) from my local woodyard.It is 6x8 and is tall enough to walk in for easier maintenance and cleaning.It has a double glazed opening window reclaimed from a local PVC window company(someones old window I assume as it was in the skip) and reclaimed triple glazed semi-see-through plastic (from the same window company) to let in more light. I built 3 nest boxes and made a couple of different height perches, one with a droppings board as they tend to poo a lot overnight. I also use the deep litter method to limit the amount of cleaning out.I use 'cosy coop' as a bottom layer and then top up with shredded paper which comes for free seing as we get a lot of junk mail! Just make sure you NEVER shred anything with staples. I also used astro-turf on the ramp so that it helps to clean their feet before entering the house.I used marine ply for the floor of the house so that it will not rot. I think it better to make your own if you can, as it can be made to any size or shape to fit the land you have.I also put a canopy just outside their doorway so that in winter they will have a snow-free area and in summer it offers shade.I'm a bit long winded as youv'e probably guessed but I hope its of some use.
 
Sounds like the Chicken Ritz. The reclaimed double glazing is a great idea. Presume the plastic is on the roof or in one of the walls. Another good idea if the nesting area remains dark. I build our coops as well; lot of work but very satisfying and because I don't use ribbed nail gun nails all of them can be dismantled and repaired. But you need to look at lots of coops combined with your experience of keeping chickens and use the best ideas.
 
Plastic houses sound fine, especially in windy possitions where a draught could blow through wooden boards, but make sure that A it has provision for wooden detatchable perches, and B that you are able to secure it to the ground as it is more likely to blow over. Houses that you can walk into are also always best. Easier to clean! It is so easy and cheap to add your own run, that if you don't have enough money to afford a decent sized 10ft or more combined house and run, a little DIY can go such a long way!
 
When I first got my chickens, I combined an area for scratching with a small wooden bike shed for shelter. B&Q have plenty of cheap sheds for sale (CSFS Website) depending on what sizing you can fit.

I'd recommend something dark and dry so that the chickens are encouraged to nest.

How many chickens you thinking of having? :-)17
 
animartco said:
Plastic houses sound fine, especially in windy possitions where a draught could blow through wooden boards, but make sure that A it has provision for wooden detatchable perches, and B that you are able to secure it to the ground as it is more likely to blow over. Houses that you can walk into are also always best.quote]

My Green Frog house is very heavy, made throughout of solid 1cm. thick plastic, and I don't think it's any more likely to blow over than a wooden one of the same size. The Eglu I had before was so heavy i could hardly move it unless I took the roof off! Both have moulded plastic perches which are easier to keep clean than wooden ones and less likely to harbour redmite. They slide out for inspection and cleaning. The whole back of the Green Frog house comes off easily and the floor is at a height which is easy to get into for cleaning. I woudn't want one which was big enough to walk into, just more places for redmite to lurk and more cleaning to do. I have fixed plastic tarpaulin round one end and part of 2 sides of my run, and this end is roofed, so they have a sheltered, shady, dry area for refuge when the weather is hot, wet or windy, and they use this a lot. There are perches in there, dustbath, feed and water under cover.
Click to expand...
 
Hi chrismahon, It is better than the Ritz LOL - we have a sign on the door to the run saying 'Cluckingham Palace' .

I too have made mine so that it can be dismantled and moved if I need to. I also put guttering on the back leading to a water butt - it's amazing just how quickly it fills up. Ideal for my veg plot which is directly next to the hens. (They keep eyeing my cabbages & lettuce up though) Lettuce is their favourite and they also love spaghetti !! (not that I can grow THAT) :-)11

The triple-glazed plastic is on the roof but it is tinted so that it doesn't get too warm .

I am today buying more tonged & grooved wood to make a separate house just for my white crested polands as they are living in an old kitchen cupboard at the moment.(I've had them for less than a week and needed to find something quickly to keep them separate from my standard sized birds . I have put a perch area in for them made out of a broom handle) This would be fine for summer but I need something more upmarket for winter. Maybe a pHENt-house flat this time not a palace LOL. Hope to have it finished over the weekend so that my 'ickle girls can live in the style & comfort they deserve.
 
Hi Mrs Woman. I am really impressed. Building a unit that can be dismantled for moving, or is mobile, is where the skill really lies. Kitchen cupboard for a temporary coop is a good idea. We use old loft water tanks.
Ours love cabbage and hate lettuce. Love pasta, particularly the curly ones.
 
Have now finished building new house for my white crested polands. :-)08 They strolled right in as if they'd lived there for years - I bet it's a big relief to get out of that dark cupboard! :-)17
My lot also like courgettes. ooh, and bread crumbs with a bit of water sprinkled on.Aparently they aren't meant to love dock leaves but mine do- I think they'll eat just about anything I offer them. Greedy guts!
 
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