Newbie - hello and numerous questions

[ot0001]

Hi all, another newbie here! I am looking to convert the end of my garden into an enclosure for approx. 4 bantam hens.
I have had a look at a number of coops with runs attached but they all look tiny. I am planning on building my own run but buying a coop.

My plan is to build a 12 by 9 ft run which is fully enclosed and fox proofed. So my first question really is- would this pen be large enough for four bantams? They would also be let out into the main garden when I am at home in the afternoon/evening and also free ranging at the weekends when possible. However, they would be in their run during the day.

I wanted to buy a pre-made coop, as I am not convinced the building skills will extend that far! I was looking at a coop from chickencoopsdirect e.g the dorset model (http://www.chickencoopsdirect.com/dorset-chicken-coop.htm). Does anyone have any thoughts /experience with these coops? The website states it could hold up to 6 chickens but I am not convinced.. I welcome any recommendations too. I understand that the plastic coops are great because they can be fully taken apart and cleaned, but they seem very expensive from Omlet/Green Frog - but are they superior?!

Thanks

 

[dinosaw]

Hi ot0001 and welcome to the forum.

The run you propose to build would be big enough for 4-5 bantams. The house you link to I would describe as adequate. In space terms it would be fine. Peoples experience with these Chinese built coops suggest it is unlikely to last forever but you would probably get a few years out of it, why it has a window in it is frankly beyond me but it's not the first to be built like that and I'm sure won't be the last. On the point of Green Frog coops, yes they are better than what you have linked to, they last longer and they hold their value well so if you found chickens weren't for you at some point you would get about 2/3 of your money back. Worth it?, in the long term I would say so. If you did decide to go down that route then I would opt for one of the medium houses as you will have room if you wanted to expand your flock in future. I have a mixture of my own home built wood/ply coops, an inherited expensive wooden coop and a green frog medium lodge and as much as I like to think I build a decent coop the green frog is still the best out of the four of them.

 

[Marigold]

Hi from me,too, and welcome.
Great idea, to go for a freestanding coop in a safe, enclosed run- much better than a coop/ run combo, those runs are always far too small. If you work on 2 sq. metres/yards of run floor space per bird, you'll be OK.
I agree with what Dinosaw says about the Green Frog coops. I've had one now for several years and it's still functionally as good as new. They're so easy to clean and are less likely to get red mite as they're constructed with few, if any, nooks and crannies for the mites to hide in. If you did get any, just take the coop apart and deal with it, unlike a wooden coop. Well ventilated and roomy, and GF customer service is excellent. And even I could follow the clear assembly instructions, though a second person makes it a bit easier. Yes, more expensive, but you'll be replacing a cheapish wooden one in a year or two, having spent quite a lot weatherproofing it and dousing it with redmite killer. And by then it will have no second hand value at all, unlike a GF, and you'll just have to burn it.
The Tongue and groove construction in the link you posted will be heaven for redmite to live in, and once their eggs get inside the joins you'll never be able to eradicate them. Also, hens like it dark in their coop so the window is a mistake, and I can't see any ventilation, and in fact ventilation isn't mentioned although it's vital to have a free airflow at all times. You're right about these imported coops stating they are suitable for far more birds than is actually the case, but you can trust the estimates of numbers on the GF website.

In my experience, Omlet are unnecessarily expensive and the designs are not so good. Ventilation is not adjustable and in my opinion is inadequate. They don't provide proper roosting bars, the chickens have to sit on a sort of grid, which gets dirty and isn't so easy to keep clean. Also, they have the roosting area on the same level as the nestboxes so the hens tend to roost n the boxes, poo overnight, and then the eggs get dirty next morning,
Do let us know how you get on.

 

[ot0001]

Hi both, thank you for your detailed replies! Glad to hear that my available space will be suitable. After spending my afternoon doing more reading I am now definitely in the plastic coop camp. I would much rather spend more and "invest" in my ladies before they arrive. As my run would be of a wooden construction with weldmesh, I assume I would need to use redmite powder in the joinery etc to prevent red mite there too?

Thanks for the heads up on GF coops and Omlet Marigold, I was also looking at the "Maxi Hen Loft" from Solway Recycling which seemed quite nice but I am struggling to find reviews of the exact model!

The end of my garden is rather barren, it is shaded by a tree so limited grass grows so I would be worried about the area getting too wet and turning into a swamp pit! To stop this from happening I was planning on digging sand and grit through to aid the draining pre build. The run would have a weldmesh base covered with strong permeable weed membrane, topped with large wood chips or auboise (or both!). The roof would be the plastic corrugated type. Does that sound reasonable?

I think I am being a bit paranoid about foxes (my other half thinks I am mad seeing as we have never seen a fox in our area!!) but I feel having a pen being completely covered by weldmesh on the floor/sides/top with an anti-dig skirt round the outside would put my mind at ease..

 

[Marigold]

That all sounds simply excellent. A roofed run with weldmesh sides and weldmesh underfloor will keep out rats as well as foxes, if you use a mesh with small spaces - we used 1/2 in. green mesh, which has wire that isn't as thick as larger spaces but very strong because you get more mesh with more squares to fill, if you see what I mean. Also, no predator can get its teeth in to the small spaces to chew a hole. But if course it's a matter of preference. If you bend the floor mesh up and fasten it to the sides, you won't need a skirt as well. A lot of people recommend Hills of Devon for weld mesh. Aubiose on its own will be best, both on the floor and in the coop, not mixed with wood chip, which develops mould spores as it decomposes, unlike Aubiose, which is also much more absorbent and comfortable. If you fit a roof you won't need extra sand etc for drainage unless your garden actually floods as the ground in the run will stay dry.
No need to use redmite powder on the run construction as any mites will nest in the coop itself. Fitting a roof should help a lot to keep it mite free, as you can exclude wild birds, which shake mites off their feathers, that's how they arrive in the first place. With a plastic coop and a roofed run, my girls have stayed free of parasites for years on end.
You never know about foxes, just because you haven't seen one doesn't mean there aren't any, and they travel long distances when hunting and may find you. And with a safe enclosed run, you never need to shut the pophole overnight, which is much easier for you and lets the hens get up when they want to, very early indeed in summer. Also, it's less trouble for whoever you get to look after them when you go away.

 

[ot0001]

Hi marigold, thank you so much for the tip on the Hills of Devon weld mesh, it is certainly much better value than the small sheets and rolls sold locally! Ok no wood chip, I have found numerous suppliers of aubiose near by which is excellent. Very excited to crack on with the build after all the tips and advice from this forum! I will be sure to post a picture of my progress, I'm sure I will have more questions a long the way.