New member, looking for some advice please.

[Piemuncher22]

Good evening, and thanks for signing me up as a member.
I am after some specific advice about keeping chickens and have been doing a little reading but I'm still struggling to find a definitive answer, and so you help will be greatly appreciated.
I have wanted to keep chickens for a while now, both for the eggs and as pets for the children. The problem is I only have a very small garden which my wife is adamant must remain as grass for the children - and we have a trampoline up there which takes up about 1/3 of the garden.
I do however have an area of totally dead space down one side of my house which we've never used for anything apart from stacking up old crap - I'll post up a picture when I get chance to take one in the daylight. It would be good to put the area to good use. The area in question is about 20 foot long by about 4 foot wide. It is walked in on 3 sides to a height of about 10 feet and has a door which can be closed up. The floor is currently pea shingle, but I think it's slabs or concrete underneath.

So here are my questions;

Firstly; is this area big enough to keep chickens? They probably wouldn't get that much opportunity to roam around the garden (which isn't that big anyway). Obviously I'd build them a little house (seen lots of plans on the net for this) and if needs be put a chicken wire roof over the run to stop them getting out.

Secondly; is it ok to keep chickens on a concrete floor?? I presume I'd need to shovel out the pea shingle as I can't see this being to good on the chickens feet. From what I've read thus far, I'd need to lay wood chippings down to give the chickens something to scratch around in.

Thirdly, how would I go about cleaning it out?? I usually scrub down my back yard with some jays fluid every now and then, but I know this can be harmful to some animals and you can't exactly scrub down wood chippings. As the chickens will be right down the side of the house I'd like to keep it fairly clean. I suppose that this could be as simple as changing the bark chippings on the floor once every now and then, but any idea on the frequency for say 2 or 3 chickens?? I just want to get an idea of the maintenance requirements and cost involved.

Lastly - I'm a total novice at this!! I reserve the right to ask further questions. Now more reading to do for me!!

Many thanks.

Paul.



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[valeriebutterley]

Hello and welcome.
I would say your spare area is adequate for the purpose.
People have all sorts of ideas of the space and type of space chickens need.
Mine are all confined within runs, but when I can be out and watching them closely (fox very near) they have the run of the garden.
They do not do much garden damage, and they get to know what they can and cannot do.

One of your great advantages is the fact that they will be pets, it makes a great difference to a chicken's life to be treated as a pet, mine are all regarded as pets and know it. They are tame and confident and very easy to handle, obedient to the rattle of a box of corn.

The best of luck, I'm sure your girls will thrive in a loving environment.

 

[rick]

Hi Paul,
I've got a similar situation of a very small garden and have had to make the best of the space.
Also, while my partner is a very understanding sort, it can get messy - especially with wood shavings which stick to your shoes (especially with the addition of some poop) and then spreads everywhere.
For this I have a seat and a stiff hand brush hanging by the door (with a few bricks as a step) so that I can brush off my feet before leaving. Another thing that helps is to have a simple service hatch arrangement - otherwise your in and out with food, water, eggs etc, better to have a place you can put everything and get at on both sides of the door.
The walled area should be very secure. Remove the pea gravel so you just have slabs. Try to make the roosting and nesting, perches, boxes, ladders etc easy to hinge up or clear of the floor because -
In order to make your floor covering last as long as poss before you need to replace it you 'poo pick' - this involves having a glove and picking up.as much poop as you see each time you go in. You don't have (and won't) get it all. I've just ordered some Aubose from Omlet - 20kg bale for £18 ish with postage and I expect that to last a month. Woodshavings are a similar price but a bit more available locally (Aubose may last longer. I haven't tried it before.)
Also tried bark chippings and still use some. On the plus they can be washed. On the minus washing them is a pretty laborious job! Also they are less easy to poo pick on as they are the same colour.
Chickens do enjoy the sun when it comes out and to see them sunbathing in the dust bath is one of the rewards of keeping them. I would be tempted to experiment with a mirror (like one of those convex ones for driveways on a blind bend) if the walled area was very shaded. But that's just a nicety - not essential.
Lastly - valerie's chickens must be little angels! Mine will empty every plant pot in less than 10 mins!

Just one other thing - If you are in a close urban environment then it may be best to discuss with your neighbours. Hens do make some noise although no-one round here minds and they all like eggs!

 

[Piemuncher22]

Thank you very much Valerie and Rick for your advice. So the good news is that the space I have available will be sufficient to keep chickens!!
I think I need to do a little more reading before taking the plunge - although from what I've seen so far it's no great effort, I just need to set the run and coop up correctly and make sure I clean it regularly and get the correct feed. I'm sure of course that there'll be other things to learn along that way, but that will come with experience.
I think this weekend will be spent clearing out the area in question, measuring up and having a look for a suitable coop. I thought I'd end up building my one, but having looked on line it seems I can buy a nice wooden coop complete with a large run for a reasonable amount, so it may not be worth constructing my own.
Your comments are noted regards cleaning Rick. This was my biggest worry and has set my mind at rest somewhat. It should be no problem for me to just go in and pick up the poo, I'm not squeamish in any sense, and then once every now and then I'll just shovel up and replace the lot. As long as it's not that labour intensive I can probably persuade the mrs to do it when she collects the eggs. I tend to be out of the door at 6 in the morning and back home at 8 at night, so I'd best make sure she's fully on board.
I'll make sure that whatever run I get in off the floor so that I can clean up easily enough.
I've found out that a good friend of mines mother breeds chickens, so I'm planning to tap her up for some advice in the near future!
Watch this space for updates.


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[chrismahon]

Hello Piemuncher and welcome to the forum. Definitely worth telling or showing us what coop you intend to buy, because there are a lot of bad ones on the market clearly built by Companies with no practical experience of keeping chickens. One thing worth mentioning is the run needs to be kept dry because any sort of wet run covering very quickly rots down and can cause health issues. I would suggest clear corrugated sheeting set at an angle into guttering to get the water well away.

 

[valeriebutterley]

Yes, Rick of course they are angels, one is even called Angel.
They have always been very good in the garden, all of the different flocks I have had.
They seem to go for grass more than flowers and I do have a lot of that. During the Summer the Pekins developed a passion for alyssum in the pots and made short work of that, small price to pay. I keep flower beds fenced off with low fencing and I have both scrub and a bit of wild in it.
All in all it seems a satisfactory arrangement, I keep a half decent garden, and the hens free range and dust bathe in the drier bits of it.

 

[rick]

Well, Teabag's halo is a bit crooked at least!
I think it's a matter of space - I'd love to have a bigger garden and then, a bit like working in a chocolate factory, they might get bored of potting compost!

 

[Piemuncher22]

Hi Chris. I hope it's ok to paste links here. Here is the kind of thing I'm looking at;
https://www.chickencoopsandhouses.co.uk/cc4000XWR.html
As a novice I have no idea if this is OK or not, however it is slim enough to fit where I need it to. My plan would be to extend the run so that it's as long as possible and hinge the entire roof so that I could lift it up and walk in for cleaning purposes. Also comments about a rain water gully are noted - I'm quite sure I could retrofit one to a nearby drain.
Interested to hear any thoughts, or take recommendations as to an alternative.




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[chrismahon]

We have one very similar to that Piemuncher- made in China apparently. We got it as part of package due to the owner's chronic allergy to chickens. Ours lasted 12 months before the roof and nest box lid disintegrated. We still have it for use as an isolation coop for new arrivals- two maximum. The roof and nest box lid have been replaced with plywood and covered with felt. Two of the windows have been taken out and replaced with mesh, because otherwise there is no ventilation at all. The whole coop was given 3 coats of Cuprinol shades because rainwater went straight through it. We've fitted weather boarding around the base to provide wind protection and sheeting on the top of the run to keep out the rain. All around the base is fitted exterior grade wood to stop the framework rotting in contact with the ground. A seal has been added to stop water getting into the nest box.

My advice is to buy a separate coop made in England and build a covered walk-in run to sit it in. Green frog coops have a good reputation and hold their value very well.

 

[Marigold]

It sounds to me as if you have already got the main part of a perfectly satisfactory run, Piemuncher, with a floor area of 80 sq. ft, sufficient for up to four chickens. Properly set up, they will be perfectly happy in there and it will be OK for them not to go into the garden if you can provide green food daily as well as pellets etc. If you close in the 4th side, and then do as Chris suggests and fit a clear corrugated roof with drainage, your girls will be dry and sheltered and keeping them clean on dry litter will be much easier. I have this arrangement, with my hens on deep litter Aubiose, which I poo pick as much as possible daily and I find I seldom or never need to change the lot, just top it up now and then. It doesn't smell, the Aubiose is fantastically absorbent and any poo you miss just dries out. The poo mixed with the shredded hemp that coats them is fantastic for the compost heap, or just as a mulch round mature shrubs and plants, much better than wood chippings. At this time of year, they actually do most of their poo in neat piles in the coop overnight anyway, which makes it very easy to remove daily, either coated with the Aubiose or you can use newspaper sheets on the coop floor and make a neat poo parcel each day. Hens hate wind and rain, and it's much more pleasant for the humans in a dry sheltered run as well.
There will be no point in buying a run and coop combo like the one you illustrate if they have their own larger run space, and as Chris says, these cheap little runs are really not fir for purpose. Not only are they made of cheap wood, but are tiny inside - far too small for the number of hens they say they can accommodate. Go for a freestanding coop which you can place in your run where you want it. I have had a Green Frog plastic coop for several years now, and would strongly advise you to look at them, or other good makes such a Solway or Brinsea, in preference to a wooden one. Very easy to keep clean, just a wash down with Poultry Shield disinfectant now and then, fewer nooks and crannies to harbour redmite, and you can rely on the specifications given for the number of birds you can keep in them. Also, you will never have to treat it with creosote etc as the plastic will last for ever, you can re-sell it if you need to and dismantle it for transport.
I expect you're like me, and want to have a project completed yesterday, but as you won't even see your birds in daylight on weekdays for several months to come, do consider spending time researching and preparing for them, and then maybe waiting until Spring before they actually arrive, especially if your wife will need to be the main carer and its your idea. Keeping chickens in the cold, wet, windy, dark days of winter is so much less rewarding than when the sun shines, and can be hard work when everything freezes up as well.

 

[themuttsknutts]

Don't exclude getting bantams,especially if you were after pets for your kids.

80sq feet is fine. i keep my breeding stock in arks with wood chippings on the base. If you need to feed greens you can sprout wheat till it grows to 4 inches or so