Beginner - some advice please

[RichmondHens]

You can always set up a separate nestbox - it doesn't have to be attached to or part of the house. A stout box on its side filled with straw and put in a dark place will be sufficient. Make sure the rain can't get in though.

You can keep just two hens together, although the minimum recommended number is three in case one dies. It is just not good to keep a hen on its own. But if you do just have two and one dies, then it is not the end of the world if she has to be friendless for a couple of days till you find a replacement.

[Albanach]

Not sure if 2' by 2' will be big enough for 3 hens then?

My plan was to have have a perch on one side of the house and then a nesting area on the other side. I wasn't going to make a nesting box up and just have plenty of straw for them - would this be OK or should I segregate a nesting box area?

I've read that lining the house with leftover kitchen lino is a good idea for cleaning so might try that. The floor of the house is currently removeable as it is not screwed to the structure itself which could be handy.

Electric fence has been ordered and will be here next week so just need to prep the ground for it coming, get the house finished and then buy the hens

Thanks for all the help.

[chris]

Well if you allowed 9" per bird on a 2' perch that's 2.6 odd birds. Perhaps you could 'T' the perch off? However then you'd need to be careful where you sited the nesting area unless you make up a box. Don't forget the perch needs to be far enough away from any side walls for the bird to roost ok - they're quite large really. When I was looking around most places seemed to said a foot away from walls is recommended.. so by that recommendation you'd stick your perch int he middle of your coop.. which doesn't leave that much room for them not pooing all over the floor area (they'll roost whatever way around they like - so they don't always perch in the same way!). I guess their bums hang maybe 3/4" away from the perch, so you're looking at not much space that won't be covered by poo.

I'd probably go with RH's suggestion of making an external nesting area/box. You could then create a cross type perch which would allow roughtly an extra foot eitehr side, but may be a bit difficult if they all want to perch in a line. Not sure -- maybe a T would be better. Don't get me wrong, they will huddle up next to each other (mine do, and only use about 2/3s of a 2'6" perch) - in summer time though I guess they'd prefer some extra room. Unless you went for bantams? They're smaller versions of the standard chickens, lay a smaller egg, but same/similar size yolk (white part is smaller) - quite a few people here seem to prefer that.

It's your call though, at the end of the day. If you get all at the same time (recommended) they'll sort out a pecking order - just the bird at the bottom of the order may get knocked off the perch if there is no further room for her?

[RichmondHens]

You could get three hens in - I currently have a large cock and hen in a house that size and in the past three or four hens have squeezed in there together. Given you are only going to have two or three hens max I would say forget about building a perch, cover the floor with straw or deep shavings and they can sleep and lay in there anyway they choose. When you let them out each morning just flip the poo out so any eggs laid during the day stay reasonably clean.

[chris]

Interesting - I didn't realise they'd sleep on the floor. Out of interest, do they crouch down and rest on their breast bone when sleeping on the floor? Come to think of it, do battery hens have perches?

[RichmondHens]

Interesting - I didn't realise they'd sleep on the floor. Out of interest, do they crouch down and rest on their breast bone when sleeping on the floor? Come to think of it, do battery hens have perches?

Most hens will perch given the choice as their natural instinct is to make for the highest point at roosting time, but not all. And if they have no choice then yes they just rest on the floor as you describe. It's important if they are on the floor that it is dry with a reasonable layer of bedding, and kept pretty clean. They should not be made to sleep on wet, damp or dirty floors.

And, no, battery hens don't have perches - that would be far too luxurious! And they don't get any bedding either.

[Hilary B]

The main advantage to a covered nestbox is that having the inside dark encourages them to use it, rather than just laying anywhere (and of course a lid helps reduce the oo problem).

[Poddington Pea]

Don't know if anyone else said this, but 2 x 2 = 4 sq foot, so it'd be big enough for 4

[Suechooks]

Don't know if anyone else said this, but 2 x 2 = 4 sq foot, so it'd be big enough for 4

In theory maybe!

[motherhen]

Depending on the size of the bird, as they will produce a lot of heat in the hotter weather. The ventilation is extremely important and a 4 ft sq sweat box is not very pleasant, they are born in duvets that they cannot remove in the hot weather.
Many birds suffer from respiratory problems in small poor quality housing and in really bad cases they may asphyxiate.
If when you open your house you can feel the hot air escape then it's too warm.

[Albanach]

I've made changes to the hen house...its now 1180mm long, 600mm wide, 711mm high to the apex of the main house and 460mm high on the 'extension'. In total its about 7ft squared, so I take it this could be big enough for 2-3 birds?

I'll be putting in a long perch in the extension and the nesting area will hopefully be in the main house.