Hello from Leicester
- Thread starter Rattus
- Start date
Hi Rattus, and a big welcome to the Forum. You'll find quite a few ideas on building runs and coops in some of the 'sticky' threads at the top of the General Chickens section, and there are lots of people on here who will be happy to advise and help. Also, do check out the excellent Poultrykeeper website, (link at the bottom of each Forum page) for interesting chicken info and help.
The space available in your garden will determine how many you should plan to get. For four hens you will need a run area of at least 6 sq. metres, 8 is better, 2sq metres per hen. Hens need as much space as you can give them, or else they tend to fight and peck each other's feathers out. Many companies sell little coops and attached runs which are impossibly small for the birds' needs and get knee-deep in poo in a very short time. Nobody ever complains that their run is too big for their birds!
Why not start another thread in the General Chickens section, then we shall all be interested in following your progress and ideas. As you may gather from the General Chatter section, we have a whole lot of new members ATM, because Practical Poultry Forum is closing down and people have moved over to here, so you're in good company.
The best way to see recent posts is to click on the Unread Posts button at the top of the Index page, saves trawling all through all the sections.
The space available in your garden will determine how many you should plan to get. For four hens you will need a run area of at least 6 sq. metres, 8 is better, 2sq metres per hen. Hens need as much space as you can give them, or else they tend to fight and peck each other's feathers out. Many companies sell little coops and attached runs which are impossibly small for the birds' needs and get knee-deep in poo in a very short time. Nobody ever complains that their run is too big for their birds!
Why not start another thread in the General Chickens section, then we shall all be interested in following your progress and ideas. As you may gather from the General Chatter section, we have a whole lot of new members ATM, because Practical Poultry Forum is closing down and people have moved over to here, so you're in good company.
The best way to see recent posts is to click on the Unread Posts button at the top of the Index page, saves trawling all through all the sections.
rick
Active member
Hi Rattus,
You'll love the world of chickens!
I think its fair to say we have all started out with a little coop and run, sold as big enough for 6 and actually ok for 2 and a roll of chicken wire. Usually, very quickly, it becomes apparent that an upgrade is needed so it will pay well to plan things out and build a reasonably secure run thats big enough from the outset. Then you can also let them out from time to time to empty all your plant pots and cause general havoc in your garden!
You'll love the world of chickens!
I think its fair to say we have all started out with a little coop and run, sold as big enough for 6 and actually ok for 2 and a roll of chicken wire. Usually, very quickly, it becomes apparent that an upgrade is needed so it will pay well to plan things out and build a reasonably secure run thats big enough from the outset. Then you can also let them out from time to time to empty all your plant pots and cause general havoc in your garden!
Thanks rick and marigold.
Don't worry I've been doing plenty of research on here and elsewhere. My run will give the hens over 8 Sq m and I have a large garden in which they will be able to free range when someone is around to keep an eye out for predators. The run will be 6ft tall and have a coroline or similar roof to keep out the worst of the rain. House-wise I would love to have a Green Frog one but at the moment I will have to settle for a Solway one as they are a little cheaper.
Don't worry I've been doing plenty of research on here and elsewhere. My run will give the hens over 8 Sq m and I have a large garden in which they will be able to free range when someone is around to keep an eye out for predators. The run will be 6ft tall and have a coroline or similar roof to keep out the worst of the rain. House-wise I would love to have a Green Frog one but at the moment I will have to settle for a Solway one as they are a little cheaper.
That all sounds brilliant. Solway are good, too - excellent idea to go for plastic, it has so many advantages. I've had a Frog for several years now and it's functionally just as good as the day it arrived.
You do realise, though, that once you fall prey to the Morehens virus, it's with you for life? Great for kids, too - I started when my 8-year-old daughter persistently cried herself to sleep for weeks because her friend's Mum had chickens and we didn't.
You do realise, though, that once you fall prey to the Morehens virus, it's with you for life? Great for kids, too - I started when my 8-year-old daughter persistently cried herself to sleep for weeks because her friend's Mum had chickens and we didn't.
My kids are 3 and 5 yrs. I think they've given up being excited about getting chickens as I've been talking about it for so long they don't think it's really going to happen! But the wood was delivered yesterday and my dad's coming on Saturday to help so hopefully won't be too long now.
