Please advise if this cage/run looks suitable?

[Scubabe]

G'day all,

We've just moved to the country and I'm dying to get some chickens!

I found an ad in our local paper for a battery hen rescue happening in a couple of weeks time, so I have a week or two to get my coop & run up & running before my 5 gorgeous girlies arrive.

I have absolutely no building skills so I'd prefer to buy a coop & run. The girls will have access to free-range our back garden in the afternoons/evenings but would be in a run during the day.

Can someone who knows about buying cages advise if this looks any good?

Many thanks!!!

Ness

[Scubabe]

Or how about this second one?
Or this third one?

Do any of those look the business??
Or, more importantly, are any of those three unsuitable for 5-6 hens, and if so, why?

Many thanks for any input guys!

Ness

[Janet's Garden]

Good Luck

That looks good, and cheap, have been looking at Hugh Fernleys links and if you can't make it yourself that is a good price, also it looks like it would be comfy and suitable for your new girlies!

Good luck.... I would love to do this myself, let me know how you get on.

[PaulR]

Hi Ness,

I am looking for a chicken coop too, and may build one now. I have no chickens so I'm a pre novice, but to me the 'second one' looks good. It has perches, which you need and a nest box too. Something with a removable floor for easy cleaning would be good, but I have gleaned from reading etc that a piece of lino on the floor can be lifted up and removed for keeping the floor clean. Your third choice does not seem to have perches or nest boxes?. Good luck. Sorry if I am not much help (The 'second choice' is good value too I think) - I have looked at loads on the web !

[Hilary B]

They all sound a bit expensive to me, but then I always did go for the absolute bargain options. The second one reminds me of the one we had many years ago (and yes we probably paid the equivalent of at least that much, but it didn't seem so much at the time<g>).
Not sure about letting hens out 'in the evening' other than high summer. If they can't be out while everyone is at work, probably better to use the 'hanging cabbage' option, move the house fairly often, and only actually let them out weekends, or for half-hour or so before a 'last feed' (and get them used to the 'last feed' before letting them wander).

[Scubabe]

Hi all, thanks for the feedback!
I know that one or two of them don't have perches, and I think one doesn't come with a nesting box, but they're easy enough to pick up I'm sure I can work around that. The perches I can install myself for sure.

Paul, thanks for the tip about a piece of lino for easy cleaning, very helpful!

Hilary, they are all by far & away the cheapest I could find ready-made. Sure I could make it myself for less but I'm not skilled like that so these are, I feel, fantastic value - some of the houses & runs I have been looking at are around the £700 mark!
Also, I have kept chickens before for years and we always let them out in the afternoons for a scratch around, why are you "not sure" about this?

Thanks,

Ness

[Birdie Wife]

WOW Scubabe! I want to die and come back as a chicken at your place

Yeah but seriously, all of those look fine

[Hilary B]

Hi all, thanks for the feedback!
I know that one or two of them don't have perches, and I think one doesn't come with a nesting box, but they're easy enough to pick up I'm sure I can work around that. The perches I can install myself for sure.

Paul, thanks for the tip about a piece of lino for easy cleaning, very helpful!

Hilary, they are all by far & away the cheapest I could find ready-made. Sure I could make it myself for less but I'm not skilled like that so these are, I feel, fantastic value - some of the houses & runs I have been looking at are around the £700 mark!
Also, I have kept chickens before for years and we always let them out in the afternoons for a scratch around, why are you "not sure" about this?

Thanks,

Ness

It sounded as if you meant they were going to be let out when someone got home from work (I couldn't think why else not let them out all day) and that has drawbacks, because it may be getting close to 'bedtime' most of the year.

Yeah, I am something of a cheapskate with these things, because I tend to include the price of accommodation in working out how much the eggs are going to cost<g> Chickens will put up with remarkably 'bodged' accommodation.....

[MaureenHall]

Talking about "bodged" accommodation, my 1st lot of chooks had a lovely new purpose built coop with a home-made run that could be moved to different parts of "their" garden. Now that I'm getting another 3 ex-batts to join the flock, I needed some separate housing for the new lot. I got a rabbit hutch free from freecycle, and converted it (sort of) so there's a sleeping area and a nesting area, and a removable perch. The 6 exisiting ex-batts thought it was much better than their own home, and have tried it out many times, even so far as preferring that nesting place to their own!

In my 'umble opinion, as long as you can provide safety, shelter, somewhere to roost, somewhere to nest, regular good food and water, and lots of love and TLC, the chooks will be happy no matter what

[Polly Fouracre]

I agree with Maureenhall.I have kept hens in runs,moveable arks and on range with their roost being an old outside lav!! As long as they have room to run a bit and flap their wings,a bit of grass or greenery and a dust bath and a (preferably) organic bowl of layers pellets they will be happy.
Sorry,organic feed is better but any will do. Organic feed costs about a third more than others, but you will "feel" if not taste the difference!

[Hilary B]

I agree with Maureenhall.I have kept hens in runs,moveable arks and on range with their roost being an old outside lav!! As long as they have room to run a bit and flap their wings,a bit of grass or greenery and a dust bath and a (preferably) organic bowl of layers pellets they will be happy.
Sorry,organic feed is better but any will do. Organic feed costs about a third more than others, but you will "feel" if not taste the difference!

I once got given some young cockerels to fatten, just 'off heat' (a neighbour had bought hatching eggs and only wanted the hens). I made a run out of 2" x2" timbers and wire mesh (shaped like a Toblerone box, but open one end) and added a teachest covered in plastic feed sacks. They thrived in there for the 8-10 weeks I kept them. Later I used it for a broody with chicks. Amazing what they will put up with<g>

[hooraynana]

Its true - they will live anywhere - those house all look glamorous am sure they will love them
I only have 1 hen at the mo and she loves her converted rabbit hutch - but has designs on moving into the outside lav also .
am looking for a new addition and would like a silky - anyone know of any needing a home ?

[terrier]

Good on ya' Scubabe for going for ex bats. I've just picked up half a dozen and they really do look the pits. How anyone can justify keeping birds in those conditions defeats any humane streak in me. If you've not seen ex bats 'in the flesh' before, you may be in for a bit of a shock, but go for it, they deserve you.

The runs you showed look great at a really good price. Like some others have mentioned, our first chook house was the Ty Bach at the bottom of the garden but now they have moved into an apartment in an 8' by 6' shed with a 'Toblerone' run attatched to it. I cut a pop hole in the side of the shed so they could have their own entrance

[terrier]

Don't look if you're squeamish! This was the state I picked them up in. Over two days, the people at Battery Hen WelfareTrust rehomed around 1200 birds. I went on the second day and the shed they were in was by now only about one third full, but still a very sad sight.

terrierpb/Ex Bats - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

[Scubabe]

Thanks for the photos of your girls, I knew they'd look a bit manky to start with, but hopefully with lots of love and food and scratching around in the garden they'll look more like hens are *supposed* to look in no time.
Really looking forward to them arriving now!

Cheers,

Ness