[mad mark]

Just ordering my chickens. I have converted my garden shed to house them in. THe roof is felt which I have read on here somewhere is not good for red mites. Is that much of a problem if I can clean out the shed every three days or so? I am only having four chickens with a nice big 6 foot by 12 foot run attached to the door end so that should be plenty of space if I have done my research properly. Any thoughts on my felt roof?

Mad Mark in Derbyshire.

[Celtic Eagle]

Hi mad mark

Welcome to the forums

Can't really help with the roof.

Have a chat to the folks in the hen house

Good luck and have fun

[GrannieAnnie]

I know they say don't use felt, but all of our henhouses have felt roofs, and although we do occasionally get red mite, we have taken off bits of the felt and found no evidence of any there. 

Have you fixed the felt on now Mark?  Only I said to my Brian, if he painted the black bitument stuff he uses round the edges all over the roof before he nails the felt down, there wouldn't be anywhere the red mite can get under the felt.

He hasn't done it so far as he never listens to me, but hey ho, no probs with our roofs so far!!

[mad mark]

Thanks for that, it is an existing garden shed so the felt is already on. There are one or two small gaps at the edges so I will fill those in to make it airtight and just keep it really clean. Hopefully that will do. There are two windows in it, should I block them up or will the chickens be okay with the light pouring in during the summer months, guess it might be a bit cold in the winter with just four birds in there. I will keep reading around the site.
 Cheers. Wish it would stop raining.

[matilda duck]

Hi Mad Mark you are right at home here you have to be MAD!!
Welcome to the site it's the BEST!!!

We have a converted shed and so far the felt has caused no problems... We leave our shed door open all day rather than just have a poop hole that way you don't get rats either as it's too exposed

We use poultry sheild and spray it about once a month just to keep on top of things.  What works for some doesn't work for everyone. 

You do know you are leaving yourself wide open don't you!!!   Sheds can house loads of chickens as theres loads of room.....

Enjoy your girlies oh and pictures of them are a must here!!!!

[mad mark]

Thanks for the advice I will get some poultry shield,and give the shed a dusting before the birds arrive. I have to say foxes sound a bit of a tough job. I live in a Derbyshire village out in the Peak District so although I haven't seen any yet I am sure they will turn up when the ladies arrive in my garden. Bit concerned as there is a stone wall running alongside the shed and fence of the run so may have to invest in a bit of barbed wire, dont want to have to run to electric fencing for the sake of my daughter who plays in the garden during the summer months. May have to have some for night time. 

Anybody planting spuds out yet?

[poultrygeist]

Hi Mad Mark.

Welcome in.

Used to enjoy going into the peaks a few years back. Bit of a trek now.

As for GrannieAnnie's advice, I've taken it and it makes perfect sense !

Foxes will soon sniff out your mob but as long as your shed is sturdy and you use a bolt rather than a simple latch on the door, they should be ok at night. There is some useful info on fox-proofing HERE.

Best of luck.

ROb

[mad mark]

Thanks for that. I have read most of that, its a bit scarey but will use flags and mesh to make a skirt around the bottom of the pen, hopefully some barbed wire on the stone wall will keep the foxes out. I have put a bolt on my pop hole and will only open the main door when I am there to clean out the shed.
Great advice but so much of it on this site.
Cheers to all.

[poultrygeist]

Oh, and one other thing......

PHOTOS !!!!! .....on chicken chat forum.
(include as scenery as you like )

Rob

[karlooben]

if red mites are that much  of a probelm { with felt } then why are almost all of the hen houses i see have felt roofs ?? was just wandering  .... welcome  to the site mad mark  u will be addicted to here believe me  .

if it wasnt for the peeps on here i would be well an truly lost with my girls

[poultrygeist]

Felt is cheap and easy to apply 

[Aunt Sally]

And you should read about the plagues of red mites some keepers have.  They discuss it all summer on the PP forum 

[karlooben]

i will have a look at that ,. i must admit after first hearing of red mites and felt i have been paranoid about it as we put felt on top of my hen house when we did the roof . it needs to be re done properly when the weather gets better so the felt will be coming of anyway then there will only be the wooden roof an the pvc sheets on top of that .

[poultrygeist]

Annie's method of putting bitumen under the edges is a good method. The mites can't get under it then.

Rob

[mad mark]

 :)Will try the bitumen idea and see how it goes. Trying to get the local poultry supplier at the moment to answer the phone is a real chore wanted to get my ladies in this week.
That will give me more time to mess with the roof this weekend if it doesn't rain.
I have some gutter and roof sealant in a tube might try that round the gaps and edges.
Cheers all.