[CatherineF]

Hi,

We are collecting our chooks on Thursday....I'm so excited.  They are coming with a coop and run.  The run is 9ft long by 3ft wide and it is coming with 4 laying hens.

Longer term, and once the courgette are finished for this year, I want to build them a bigger area, probably 9/10ft square - when I do this can I add one or two more chickens?

[Casey76]

Hi Catherine, I really don't want to rain on your parade, but you are already overstocked

Your run is only 3sqm, and we advise that each hen has at least 2sqm of run space, independent of areas needed for feeders, waterers, and a dust bath area.

Defra recommend a minimum of 1sqm of run space per hen, but we have found this inadequate, and it is very difficult to keep on top of husbandry (poo picking etc) if you have 1 hen per sqm.

[CatherineF]

Hmm ok, I did wonder but obviously we are buyign an existing set up from someone no longer able to keep them.

I will go with plan B then of building them a larger enclosure in the next month/6 weeks.  That will be about 9 sqm so should be about what they need then?

[Dominic]

My 4 hens have 11.5sqms
It takes them 8 weeks to strip it bare from good grass.

Space isnt quite as simple as space.

I've seen more hens in a smaller space than you have, but it was moved every couple of days, so the hens had plenty of chances to eat grass and hunt bugs.

[Jacinta]

Can you let them free range part of the day when you're around?  I have 3 hens on 7m2 and started letting them free range pretty quickly, they absolutely love being out.  I've made the run as fun as possible with different levels, tree roots etc to break up their eyelines from eachother.  If hens have a fall out they need their own space and corners to get away from each other, so break up the run into 'areas' kind of.  Being in the run is fine while i'm at work but as soon as they hear the key in the back door they all run to the door to be let out.  You'll be massively rewarded for any extra space you give them, they genuinely are much happier for it.

[CatherineF]

I would love to let them out but as we are on an allotment I'd be worried about them escaping from the site or eating peoples veg! How likely is that?

[Jacinta]

They will have a go at eating anything and my veg beds are covered with mesh.  They don't wander too far though.  Maybe you could build a mesh fence around a larger area, really easy to do, needs to be about 5-6' and you could let them in if you're around?

[CatherineF]

I've got some of those metal poles that are used on building sites for temp fencing so would that type of stuff work just to keep them contained?  Does it still need to be 5-6 foot if they've had their wings clipped?

[Wattsy]

I would love to let them out but as we are on an allotment I'd be worried about them escaping from the site or eating peoples veg! How likely is that?

i've been thinking about this as i'm in the same boat i'm going to get a long net (normally used for ferreting) i reckon as long as the birds aren't too flighty this'll hold them

[Lindeggs]

I've got some of those metal poles that are used on building sites for temp fencing so would that type of stuff work just to keep them contained?  Does it still need to be 5-6 foot if they've had their wings clipped?

If they are supervised while they are out, quite a low fence will contain them.  How tall are the metal poles?  How high will the fence be once the poles are poked into the ground?

You might not even need to clip the chickens' wings if you are around to watch them.  Some of my chickens are more inclined to jump up/over things than others, but if I scatter a bit of food around on the ground they are so busy looking down at their toes I don't think it ever occurs to them to start looking up and planning an escape.

I keep trying to take photos of my pullets standing upright and looking alert, like they do in book illustrations.  Instead they are always looking down like this:

[Sideshoot]

a very cheap temporary run for them could be the orange netting you see on building sites.
Its cheap as chips, you can even buy the metal poles with the sort of hook at the top too to erect it. If they are only going to use it when your around i'd of thought they would be too busy exploring their new space to plan escape, plus a scattering of corn or treats will keep them busy as Lindeggs said.

[CatherineF]

a very cheap temporary run for them could be the orange netting you see on building sites.
Its cheap as chips, you can even buy the metal poles with the sort of hook at the top too to erect it. If they are only going to use it when your around i'd of thought they would be too busy exploring their new space to plan escape, plus a scattering of corn or treats will keep them busy as Lindeggs said.

Thats exactly what I was thinking of using for them.  I thinkt he fence would be a fraction under 1m high.  We already have some of the metal fence pins as we are next to a building site!!

Funds are tight at the moment though and I got some netting on the weekend from Poundstretcher both for the fruit cage (normal netting) and then some of the special netting you use for growing peas and beans up.  Could I use that tied on to th metal fence pins?  Just it was only £1.99 a pack and I reckon I could fence the whole lot for about £15?

[Jacinta]

Just be careful they don't get their feet caught up or tangled in the netting, if it's the same as my pea netting it's a nightmare and could be dangerous.  Before i let mine free range properly i got some huge windbreaks off ebay, cost me about £14 for an 8m long section.  I just stuck it in the ground around the coop door and left a bit on the end like a gate for me.  They aren't very sturdy, but sturdy enough as long as it's not too windy.   

[CatherineF]

Just be careful they don't get their feet caught up or tangled in the netting, if it's the same as my pea netting it's a nightmare and could be dangerous.  Before i let mine free range properly i got some huge windbreaks off ebay, cost me about £14 for an 8m long section.  I just stuck it in the ground around the coop door and left a bit on the end like a gate for me.  They aren't very sturdy, but sturdy enough as long as it's not too windy.   

Do you think the security type netting would be better?  It's not too badly priced on the internet and I was planning on scattering corn or.....whatever they like to scratch about for so hopefully they will be too busy to pay much attention to the fence?

[Jacinta]

It'll be better than the very fine, tangley pea netting.  You could get prices for pond netting as well and have a look on freecycle, loads of people getting rid of useful stuff! Try wilkinsons online for mesh and netting too, they're cheap as chips.