Hi All
I plan to have about 6 to 10 chucks so how big should I do the hen house. also is it best to have individual nest box's or perches. How big should each nest box be
Also a daft question if the chicken is on a perch will it come off the perch to lay the egg or will it just squirt it out there and then. If so what do you put on the floor to stop the egg smashing.
I plan to have a 15 x 6 outside run for them is this big enough for 10 chucks. Obviusly I want the welfair of the chickens to be perfect so you input will be invaluable
Jim
Hi Jim.
The size of the hen house is not as important as the size of the run. the hens will only tend to use the house to roost in at night and to come into lay.
Its useful to be able to keep the chickens inside during inclement weather, as this prevents the run from becoming a quagmire. I'd say that an 8ft by 4ft would be suitable, especially if you use different levels within it, in the form of raised shelves or boards.
A small two up two down house for example, will provide more space for its occupants than a bungalow covering the same area. I hope this makes sense.
With ten hens, I'd look at having three nest boxes.There's no need to look at having one for each chicken. The chances are, that if you did, you'd have nine out of ten left redundant and that they'd all use the same box anyway.
Dependant on the size of bird that you keep, I'd look at making the nest boxes around 15"x15". I'm sorry :oops: I don't work in centimetres.
As far as hens laying eggs whilst on the perch, I wouldn't worry. I'm sure that it must happen once in every blue moon but hens have a very strong instinct within them to find warm,safe and private places to lay their eggs in.
Good luck with your chicken keeping venture.
