Newbie needs help

[Paulottie]

Hello,

So my sister in law gave me a couple of slightly less than point of lay Light Sussex hens (now named Hinge and Bracket). I'm going to need some help here!! but first I need to house them. They have an old rabbit run and hutch at the moment. But am building a pen for them. I need to know a good site or thread discussing the pros and cons (Inc. designs and pics pref) of different houses and runs. I'm a carpenter so pretty handy but want to built something the right size, fox proof and efficient.

Thank you

[carlseawolf]

you could try getting hold of a poultry magazine or a copy of a small holding magazine as poultry housing is often advertized in them.

[TPeers]

I started a thread on this - with pictures. If you click on 'search' on the green toolbar near the top of the page and type in 'hen house plans' you should find several relevant threads.

My one is only shown partially complete as I forgot to photograph one or two stages. I can complete it in a general way if you want to see the finished result.

Terry

[Paulottie]

Thanks Terry, I would love to see the finished result. I'm very impressed with your woodwork.

[TPeers]

I'll get the camera out - back later!

[AWard]

A lot a stuff is written about chicken sheds and many people take advantage of some people's increasingly unbalanced anthropomorphic view of animals these days; and charge the earth for quaint little hen runs.

A simple and quick method that I have used in the past is the "Wendy House" type timber shed (4' x 5') that you can get quite reasonably from DIY stores or Garden Centres for about £150 or so (you can't buy the materials for that!). Shiplap with a door and importantly a solid floor, pitched, felted roof with decent height to allow installation raised perching rails for roosting. Windows can be boarded to disuade foxes and the door bolted for the same.

I even use them for brooding turkeys with no probelm. They come flat-packed and only take a couple of hours to put up. Light Sussex are not particularly "flighty" birds and so a 4' fence is adequate.

The trick is not to get attached to your fowl. They are not members of the family but remember that stock keeping is a responsiblity. Plus it is an inescapable fact that if you have livestock; you will ultimately have deadstock - try not to fall into the trap that too many do and become hopelessly sentimental about little "chooky wookie".....

[daisychook]

A lot a stuff is written about chicken sheds and many people take advantage of some people's increasingly unbalanced anthropomorphic view of animals these days; and charge the earth for quaint little hen runs.

A simple and quick method that I have used in the past is the "Wendy House" type timber shed (4' x 5') that you can get quite reasonably from DIY stores or Garden Centres for about £150 or so (you can't buy the materials for that!). Shiplap with a door and importantly a solid floor, pitched, felted roof with decent height to allow installation raised perching rails for roosting. Windows can be boarded to disuade foxes and the door bolted for the same.

I even use them for brooding turkeys with no probelm. They come flat-packed and only take a couple of hours to put up. Light Sussex are not particularly "flighty" birds and so a 4' fence is adequate.

The trick is not to get attached to your fowl. They are not members of the family but remember that stock keeping is a responsiblity. Plus it is an inescapable fact that if you have livestock; you will ultimately have deadstock - try not to fall into the trap that too many do and become hopelessly sentimental about little "chooky wookie".....

Award - too late, I already love my chooks!!!!

I must admit we have our chooks in one half of our shed (partioned of course!). We have just bought a bio secure unit - courtesy of PoultryPark in Gloucester.

A softie I know!!!

[Paulottie]

Thanks AWard...I bet beneath that crunchy shell theirs a gooey centre!....Personally, I agree with you about anthropomorphism, I'm a country boy and not too sentimental; but then I have 4 and 6 yo kids and a veggie wife. Also, whilst I will happily ring the hens necks if they don't lay. I am reluctant to repeat the dead rabbit and guinea pig thing from last year -our pig was pretty sharp and survived the fox's visit.... but having just taken on the moving away neighbours' -well ,the boy found the guinea pig's head in his sandpit! the rabbit's was in my veggie patch!

I've now converted the old rabbit run and hutch. The current set up will do very nicely for moving them around veg beds in winter but I was hoping to find a system where they were safe as poss but self sufficient if we must go away etc. is there a system where they can put themselves to bed? I saw those highrise things on River cott. but they seemed very visable (ugly) plus more suitable for bantams or something ... can't foxes climb ladder? they will certainly go over 4' fence.

[JennieAtkinson]

We've no foxes here but do have polecats, but interested in the "putting themselves to bed" bit.

[Paulottie]

We've no foxes here but do have polecats, but interested in the "putting themselves to bed" bit.

Goodness like ferrets aren't they- how do you keep one of those out!

[chickenjane]

Dear Paul,i'm not any more convinced by Award's harsh exterior than you are.He's obviously been brouhg tto tears by poultry mishaps too often & is trying to hide it.

Chooks are great.Theyhave personalities,little habits & once you've been bitten you wouldn't want to be without.
But as was siad they do tend to die for fun sometimes.The best consolation to our kids for an ex-chick is the planning of it's replacement.

As for hopusing Awards convert-a-shed is perfectly adequate & economical.However I would recommend you look at some of the better commercially available housing,if not to but then to plagiarise their design ideas.
Some are,as he said,over priced pretty garden accessories.
Others are cleverly designed to make the bet living environment for the hens,whilst being easy to clean out & vermin proof.
May I recommend Lindasgrove Arks.Not over priced & extremely well thought out & constructed.
Things that can be over looked are: removeable perches(for cleaning) easy to clean floor (ditto) access to nesting boxes(internal &/or externally).ventilation (=vital) without chilling winds.Roofing material.Felt is ok but harbours far more bugs incl red mite than a solid wood or 'onduline roof'
Then there are pop holes,ramps (fixed or retractible) Shaded shelter & whether to have the accom at ground level(rat & badger risk) or elevated (structure will be taller to make) & so on.

[AWard]

[QUOTE=chickenjane;98001]...i'm not any more convinced by Award's harsh exterior than you are.He's obviously been brouhg tto tears by poultry mishaps too often & is trying to hide it...QUOTE]

No. Dissapointed maybe. Never get attached to stuff you will eat or produces food for you.

[laura g]

with our ark now on order - arriving tomorrow allegedly - i'm up to my usual trick of convincing myself i could have bought better and mucking around on tinternet checking out other prices and models even though its too late!!!!

checked out those lindas grove ones. they're fab aren't they? having said that what I have noticed is that they're all variations on a general theme. having said that I know that there's probably very little you can do with a hen house.

Wish we were handy enough to be able to build ourselves. But we know our limitations. Honestly; from our example the kids firmly believe that any resident of the tool box has a name prefixed by a very rude word!!!!

With regards to getting attached: no doubt that chooks will have to earn their keep here. Or else it'll be bargain buckets for them. We demand Eggs and cuddles!!

[Paulottie]

Won't sit on perch

So i put a perch on one side few inches off deck-piece of 1 1/2" handrail. But they just cuddle up on floor in nest box side!

[chickenjane]

Ah yes they do that.

they're only POL though so they might change their behaviour as they mature..won'tall fit in nest box at full size.Also with change in weather they might not huddle.

the problem of nest-box roosting is 1.they pooh over night so nest box needs cleanin gout more often 2.eg if you get a broody In one & the rest perching in the other (assuming you have 2 boxes) you can end up with nowhere for the others to lay & eggs get dropped in odd places.

A couple of mine always fight for the nest box at night..doesn't bother me.if they 're happy I'm happy.