[MidlandBrewer]

Hello everyone, my name is David.

Ive been part of the forum here for a few months now since I moved to the countryside and rural living is really taken over my life. Im still working on fixing my vegi plots and greenhouse but my biggest love are my new ladies.
I plan on expanding the chicken run in the near future along with the number of birds I have but I thought Id take this oportunity to show you my current setup.
Any chicky advice you can offer from chicken care to building coops will be greatly appreciated!

David

[MidlandBrewer]

This is there main living area:

[MidlandBrewer]

This was the first extention I made, a small lean-to on the side of the run that they access through a little door, I added this as it can get vey windy at the top of Bromley Hill!

[MidlandBrewer]

This is a better picture of phase 2 of my run, I found all the materials for this while clearing the 2 foot high grass at the end of the garden.

[New shoot]

It looks very good 

You could add a roosting bar to the lean to.  Mine often park up during the day for a preen and to have a 'sit and watch the world go by' session.  They also have some logs to sit on and they are always popular.

[MidlandBrewer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMfp1S-4HDs



Edit to fix link

[Sassy]

I have looked at your video on You Tube and very innovative it is too. Not sure why you have platforms in the roosting area? Your roosting bar does not 'look lfat' enough and ideally should be oblong, not round, with rounded edges.  Hope that makes sense 

[MidlandBrewer]

Thanks for the advice, the reason for the platforms is I was originally going to put the nesting boxes up there, as you can see I changed my mind but the ladies have taken to sitting & sleeping up on the platforms. Ill try and find a better roosting bar this week

[MidlandBrewer]

It looks very good 

You could add a roosting bar to the lean to.  Mine often park up during the day for a preen and to have a 'sit and watch the world go by' session.  They also have some logs to sit on and they are always popular.

Great Idea!

[Mr R Design]

Google 'drain pipe' chicken feeders and cobble some of them together.

Have you got a mains water supply and power available?

[MidlandBrewer]

Google 'drain pipe' chicken feeders and cobble some of them together.

Have you got a mains water supply and power available?

Very close to the coop yes, I need to fit a light in the coop, hopefully this weekend

[Mr R Design]

You will be able to get a mains water supply in there then that won't freeze and get rid of any containers or buckets that you are currently using.

I am assuming you are reasonably DIY competent so these are the bits you need:

Normal household toilet overflow piping
A pressure reducer
Horizontal poultry nipples
Rubber grommets that fit tight in the piping and have a hole to screw the nipples into
A condensing boiler heat trace kit

Ebay is the best for the heat trace, I got a brand new 6ft one for a tenner. You fit the heat trace inside the piping not on the outside. (yes, they are water proof)

Use evo-stick between the grommets and the piping. (The nipples just screw in)

I have three pesky chickens and have fitted three nipples across aprx a 2ft horizontal length of piping but two would have been more than enough.

I am two minutes from junction 2 of the M5 if for any reason you are passing and want to have a physical look how it is set up.

[Beekissed]

If you get extremes in weather, such as very hot or cold or very humid/wet weather, you'll really want more ventilation in that coop...lots more.  Chickens on a roost create a lot of heat and humidity and when the temps drop below freezing, their own humidity and breath will condense on their combs, wattles and even on their bodies and cause frostbite and chilling there.   For hot weather, that airless box will just be stifling and also needlessly stress the bird's system. 

Ideally, air flow in at the bottom and stale air out the top of the coop...a passive air flow to remove the humidity from the coop will help them stay more comfortable, not to mention prevent disease transmission among the flock.  Putting in roosting bars instead of platforms will also aid in the airflow around the birds, moving their humidity and stale air that much better.  Nothing at all wrong with round roost bars...most of mine are fat and round, which mimics a bird's more natural foot position while sleeping on a roost.

You could also think about a deep litter system in the run area if you'd like to avoid a muddy, stagnate run and an overload of fecal matter causing harmful bacteria and fungal growth in the soils there.  You can use a variety of materials for a better result, as using all of one type and size of material doesn't allow good air pockets into the litter pack, but just build it 6 to 10 in. deep and keep adding as needed to keep a spongy litter pack underfoot.  This will keep the soils under your run from becoming too compacted for drainage and also allow the nitrogenous fecal matter to bind with carbonaceous materials instead of overloading the soils there.  Over time you can scoop out this rich compost for use directly onto the garden. 

Both of these steps can help your chickens live a better and healthier life there. 

[MidlandBrewer]

If you get extremes in weather, such as very hot or cold or very humid/wet weather, you'll really want more ventilation in that coop...lots more.  Chickens on a roost create a lot of heat and humidity and when the temps drop below freezing, their own humidity and breath will condense on their combs, wattles and even on their bodies and cause frostbite and chilling there.   For hot weather, that airless box will just be stifling and also needlessly stress the bird's system. 

Ideally, air flow in at the bottom and stale air out the top of the coop...a passive air flow to remove the humidity from the coop will help them stay more comfortable, not to mention prevent disease transmission among the flock.  Putting in roosting bars instead of platforms will also aid in the airflow around the birds, moving their humidity and stale air that much better.  Nothing at all wrong with round roost bars...most of mine are fat and round, which mimics a bird's more natural foot position while sleeping on a roost.

You could also think about a deep litter system in the run area if you'd like to avoid a muddy, stagnate run and an overload of fecal matter causing harmful bacteria and fungal growth in the soils there.  You can use a variety of materials for a better result, as using all of one type and size of material doesn't allow good air pockets into the litter pack, but just build it 6 to 10 in. deep and keep adding as needed to keep a spongy litter pack underfoot.  This will keep the soils under your run from becoming too compacted for drainage and also allow the nitrogenous fecal matter to bind with carbonaceous materials instead of overloading the soils there.  Over time you can scoop out this rich compost for use directly onto the garden. 

Both of these steps can help your chickens live a better and healthier life there.

Thank you for all the fantastic advice, Ive only been keeping chickens a few months so really value the input!
Ill be adding additional vents on Saturday, im also going for a walk in the woods to try and find some sturdy branches that have fallen to use as roosting bars (will this be okay?).
Once again, thank you for all useful tips

[Beekissed]

Usually if they've fallen from a tree, they are dead and thus a good bit weaker than a green sapling/branch.  If you kept them short and thick, they might support the weight of the birds anyway but I'd be wary of using them until you test the relative strength of the branch...chickens all on a roost are surprisingly heavy!  I've seen 2x4s that were too long start to bow in the middle from the weight of several fat hens over time. 

I wish you very well with your little flock!  Hope you keep us updated on them and how it all goes.