Newbies chicken coop quiery.

[Freaya]

I am thinking of keeping some hens for the first time next spring (concentrate on getting veggie beds in this year) and I have been looking it accomodation options.

We have plenty of space which is beneath trees which isn't suitable for veggies anyway so this is my question.

With a hypothetical 4-8 hens which would be better?

1. A single large permanent secure enclosure starting at 8x8 feet (for the first 2/4 birds and expanding with any additions) Each additional 4x8 unit would be slightly terraced from the next due to the slope of the land and not all of it would be human walking height (just the first part with the coop and food/watering stations.) later extentions would be whatever height the mesh roll permits (3ft probably) and would be joined internally with a little ramp/slope/steps between levels. Likely final size would be around 16x8feet including the coop which would be independant but inside the enclosure.

OR

2. A 4x8 foot enclosure (in two bolt together sections) which can be moved to one of several 4x8 raised beds which have been placed in non-veg areas. In this case the coop would have to move too and would fit onto the side.

My thoughts/concerns are

-land becoming poultry sick or whatever the term is, I would love a tractor type coop but our space is heavily sloped so the raised beds would provide small areas of flatness which they could rotate through. If the permanent enclosure is large enough is this still a problem?

-space.....true free range isn't feasable as we have a large but rather wild space and security would be an issue, the above scenrios would be roofed for extra security as foxes have been and photographed in our garden. Hens might get a little ranging time when I am out with them.

-Looking at very nice (but also very expensive) coops and runs online I decided that I wanted my run and coop to be independant. Allowing me to take the coop for a pressure wash on occasional sunny mornings whilst leaving the chickens secure in their run, returning the now dry coop by sun down. Same goes for repairs, modular = easy replacement of damaged parts or expansion.

[Snadger]

Just make sure the chooks have a little bit of sunlight.........preferably streaming into their coop in the morning to tell them its time to get up!

[sheena]

You'll have to excuse me as early mornings don't sit well with me, but from what it sounds like... the first scenario where you mention terraced housing sounds great, but as you already know there is a fox prone to your garden, I would be worried about the security to the ground.

Foxes can dig as well as climb, so I would be a little worried about that one.

The latter option allows for the girl's to have fresh dirt to play in when you move them about, but again security is the issue.

The size and dimensions seem fine to me, I also have a space issue in my garden and currently have 8 girls in a run that was 18' x 3.5' and 4' high, the house is an old rabbit hutch which is 6'x2.5' houses them all nicely and is 2' of the ground with a ladder.
Having said that, we have just extended it with an extra 6'x4' and 6' high extension.

Permanently fixed and fully enclosed, never seen a fox around my area but you can never take too many chances.

[Bramble-Poultry]

you can keep it permanently in one place, but to avoid "poultry sickness" of the ground you would need to get in and dig it out occasionally and replace with fresh. for this reason alone, make sure you can stand up in the run as its no fun trying to dig out a three foot high run!

movable runs sound good, if you can ensure safety, but thats a lot of carrying about. chooks will level and weed a 8x4 run in a matter of a week given half the chance so you would need to keep moving them often which sounds more of a hinderance in your garden with the slopes than a benefit.

I would be tempted to give the fixed run some serious thought and design in a fox proof mesh sides, top and bottom!

[Freaya]

That is pretty much what I figured. Even moving the 4x4 segments would have been a little tricky.

Space wise we have plenty, it is just all slopey and full of trees so the area suitable for veg is a little on the slim side.

The fox I saw (and photographed) was a few years ago but doesn't mean that the aren't still out there biding their time. And thank you for pointing out that foxes can dig, though I was aware of that and had planned to build in some dig-resistance into the foundations with sunken boards (treated) and chicken wire.

The other thing I had wondered about was putting down some kind of mulch within the run. We have LOTS of shrubs (tons of privet) which needs regular massacreing to keep it from assaulting passing pedestrians (we believe it has been implicated in the dissapearence of at least two pensioners). I wondered if this shredded wood could be spread after they have picked down to bare earth and then they could play around in it looking for bugs. Then every year (?) go in and take all the partially composted and well pooped on material out and replace with fresh. Kinda like an exposed compost head with chickens living on top. The dug out material would then finish on a covered compost heap before going onto the veg beds.