Where to site the hens?

[VirginVegGrower]

Can anyone give some guidance on whether it is better to site your coop nearer or further away from your house? Reason I ask is because of the vermin issue V fox protection one. We are weldmeshing everywhere and we have a large garden,but I am worried if they are too far away I may not hear the red one in the night.
Thanks in advance!

[Nicos]

Personally I'd have them near the house. (Think of wading through a snow drift mid-winter or heavy April showers to open them up in the morning!)

...you shouldn't get vermin if you remove food at bed-time

[RichmondHens]

If it's just hens then as near or far as you like. If you have a cock then you may want them further away!

[cotton54321]

A vermin proof feeder is a great investment...also, despite regular cleaning, ours do smell a little in summer so I prefer them further away from the house

Mel

[winstonwobble]

i have mine nr the house so as i can see them through the window although they do free range during the day if i hear anything during the night i just let the dogs out

[VirginVegGrower]

Thanks so much. I must admit this was my preferred option as vermin will seemingly be taken of by rigorous cleaning and two terriers. I take on board the removing of their food each night.
We do have some Bokashi Bran which we put to make their poop smell a bit sweeter.
We'll start with near the house I think then and let the dogs out on the foxes.
Do badgers trouble hens, does anyone know? We have those too in the woods at the back.
We go and get them at the weekend and we are all so excited. been years since I was around hens and no to a cock!!!

[Hilary B]

My choice would be close to the house, but not right by the house. Many people like to have the veg patch a little way from the house to enjoy the 'just for looking at' bit. I would recommend having the hens at the far end of the 'for looking at' area, with the veg patch beyond. Hens are fun to watch, but if you have flowers as well, you want to see the flowers from the window!

[Suechooks]

Badgers can cause a lot of damage and kill hens. They are very strong and can tear and rip at wood. Doesn't seem to happen a lot but I did know someone who had no problem with foxes but regularly lost birds and eggs to badgers. They are protected so it's difficult to do anything other than make things as difficult as possible for them.

[frias]

I like mine near to the house. I am home all day so love chook watching. As I sleep at the front of the house I wouldn't hear a fox in the back garden at night anyway. I just have to trust that all the anti fox security we have will work.

[VirginVegGrower]

i have mine nr the house so as i can see them through the window although they do free range during the day if i hear anything during the night i just let the dogs out

If it's just hens then as near or far as you like. If you have a cock then you may want them further away!

Personally I'd have them near the house. (Think of wading through a snow drift mid-winter or heavy April showers to open them up in the morning!)

...you shouldn't get vermin if you remove food at bed-time

Badgers can cause a lot of damage and kill hens. They are very strong and can tear and rip at wood. Doesn't seem to happen a lot but I did know someone who had no problem with foxes but regularly lost birds and eggs to badgers. They are protected so it's difficult to do anything other than make things as difficult as possible for them.

OMG
I feel quite sick! How on earth do other folk in rural/semi rural areas cope with this. Is there anything you can do to repel them? I have no idea...is this why a lot of folk have electric netting?

[Nicos]

...that's what we have!!...not much choice with 5 foxes roaming free in the field behind our house ( and interestingly a badger set in the next field!!)

You may not get these probs of course!

[Suechooks]

OMG
I feel quite sick! How on earth do other folk in rural/semi rural areas cope with this. Is there anything you can do to repel them? I have no idea...is this why a lot of folk have electric netting?

Don't panic! I've only heard of one person who has problems with badgers. I don't think anyone on this forum has mentioned it in the time I've been on. I only told you about it so you'd be aware - didn't mean to upset you so much - sorry. I'm sure if you use decent weld mesh and bury the bottom in the ground with maybe paving slabs or similar on top it'll be fine. Unless the badgers come in your garden for food already I doubt they'll come looking for the chooks.

[Flummery]

My choice would be close to the house, but not right by the house. Many people like to have the veg patch a little way from the house to enjoy the 'just for looking at' bit. I would recommend having the hens at the far end of the 'for looking at' area, with the veg patch beyond. Hens are fun to watch, but if you have flowers as well, you want to see the flowers from the window!

This is just what we have.
Back door onto small patio, then,
Nearest the house - the herb bed
Then a circular patio with ornamental platning around
then a (very small!) wildflower 'meadow'
Then the chickens' 'ranging' area - a bit of manky grass with highish weldmesh fencing round.
Then the garden room (great for chicken watching as well as eating out - I'm there right now) and then the chicken run.
The chickens happily cross the patio by the garden room, to get to their little 'field'
After the chicken run, the veg plot , the greenhouse then the fence at the end

In case this sound massive it's only 100 ft long. You can do a lot in that space.

[VirginVegGrower]

Don't panic! I've only heard of one person who has problems with badgers. I don't think anyone on this forum has mentioned it in the time I've been on. I only told you about it so you'd be aware - didn't mean to upset you so much - sorry. I'm sure if you use decent weld mesh and bury the bottom in the ground with maybe paving slabs or similar on top it'll be fine. Unless the badgers come in your garden for food already I doubt they'll come looking for the chooks.

You didn't upset me but I am having nightmares over the thought of badgers and foxes. I would sooner know than not, just makes me feel slightly sick. We do have setts in the woods at the back - I know for sure and they do visit neighbour's garden where the peanut feeder is sited. We border fields on two sides and woods on another. We have garden back, front and side and it is in the latter that I am thinking of siting the hens, so that I can let the dogs out quickly if need be. Also I can have the landing window open a smidge in order to hear any noise during the night - this is like being a first time mum again.
I don't much care about smells, but will be cleaning religiously anyhow. We are rural so manure aromas are de rigeur round here. It's the potential threat to the hens that scares me greatly

[elizajay]

I don't much care about smells, but will be cleaning religiously anyhow. We are rural so manure aromas are de rigeur round here. It's the potential threat to the hens that scares me greatly

I find that it is not so much smells as flies in the house in the summer. I poo pick daily or more often if I am at home in the summer, but the flies find the poos really quickly and no doubt don't hang about before laying eggs on them. I also have a pub next door and the bins are only cleared once a week on the day of fish night, so we have their fish pong for a week before they are next cleared.