[hillfooter]

Hi Birmancats,
Both these house sizes will be fine for 8 bantams though they will rattle about a bit in the larger one.  L/F birds don't need more than 1sqft per bird roost space and bantams arround 0.6 sq foot.  I assume these sizes are usable perch space and not floor area of a triangular profile.  If triangular discount about 1/3rd of the floor space in your calculations but even so for bantams they should be just about OK.  More importantly in my view is the perch design.  Too many houses I see have a single or double perch bar which is not so good as they can't huddle and will end up on the floor crammed into a corner.  Also important is the material used.  10mm tounge and groove or even worse, ship lap is not heavy enough and won't last long without warping, splitting and rot.  Make sure the floor is raised above ground by at least 6 inches on flags or bricks and the roof space isn't too high, 3 - 4foot is fine with adequate ventillation above head height and baffled ideally to cut down draughts.  There's no need to have the perches raised more than 4 to 12inches above the floor contrary to traditional advice which often quotes 18inches or more.

HF

[stujem]

Hi all, i've almost finshed by chicken coop, and I've seen so many coops with windows in them, do I need windows?

[hillfooter]

No thats ridiculous.  Anyone who puts windows in clearly doesn't understand chickens and what a house is for.
HF

[stujem]

Thank you Hillfooter, I thought having windows in the coop was a bit silly. I have a wire mech as vents but thats it. Thank you

[birmancats]

Hi Hillfooter.  The sizes are the floor space with of the coop/roost within the run.  The choice is between the Smiths Sectional Buildings Thicket or the woodenart Super James houses.  Both have about 20 to 24 inches clearence underneath the coop.  All meshed in as part of the build in run.

Going to see the woodenart one next week and have been able to have a good look at the Thicket one locally.  The size of the coop area on the Thicket did seem a bit excessive but has adjustable ventilation, then again I don't know anything much about chickens (yet)

[hillfooter]

Hi Hillfooter.  The sizes are the floor space with of the coop/roost within the run.  The choice is between the Smiths Sectional Buildings Thicket or the woodenart Super James houses.  Both have about 20 to 24 inches clearence underneath the coop.  All meshed in as part of the build in run.

Going to see the woodenart one next week and have been able to have a good look at the Thicket one locally.  The size of the coop area on the Thicket did seem a bit excessive but has adjustable ventilation, then again I don't know anything much about chickens (yet)

Hi Birmancats

Both these houses look very good from the photos. 
Do you have to have a caged run to confine the birds all the time or do you expect them to free range and only be confined when you aren't around?  If the latter check out the Forsham Cottage Arks Lenham 405 (£465) which I use with my own design run.  Forshams Rye run is expensive and it's easy to make your own.

Going back to the ones you've selected I like the Smiths one and the materials seem robust enough 12mm tongue & groove is good.  The nestboxes are felt roofed so a bit of a negative point for that.  The internal design and access looks OK.  The perches are a little far apart which means the birds can walk in the droppings.  I'd like to see them closer and a little higher off the floor to give more droppings space.  When the perches are removed is there a completely flat floor so the litter can be easily swept out with no ledges to trap it.   The externals of the Woodenart looks good too but there's no pictures of the inside (why do people do this it makes me think this is a weak area or they don't think it's worth a mention.  Big mistake.)  Two nestboxes are adequate for about 8 birds but not excessive so just hope none of them go broody.  Also the materials aren't spec'd but I'd expect a min of 40mm framing and 12mm tongue and groove.  Check this out.  It says two perching poles which if that's all there is inside isn't any good.  Might be easy to modify if the rest is OK.  I usually do a few tweeks to suit my preferences.  Check for absolutely flat floors so they can easily be swept and lift out fittings. Ask about presevation treatment and nails and fixings used .  Are they all zinc plated and rust resistant/ proof and no staples or nail brads.

Basically nearly all aviary type houses have inadequate run space for the number of birds they claim can fit in the house.  Personally I like at least 2sqm per bird if they are confined for long periods which neither house can provide.  Not an issue if they range outside and are just confined part of the day though.

My system is designed to utilise alternate runs and makes use of the acre or so of ground I have available.  A movable house with covered small run which houses feeders & drinkers within a large external run bounded by an electric net. see attached photos

HF

[birmancats]

Thanks Hillfooter.  Great advice as usual. 

I did wonder about the inside of the woodenart one which is why I planned to drive out there.  I'm sure Smiths would onduline the nest box if requested.  They seem very ameniable to little changes. 

The hens would be confined whilst I'm out because of the neighbouring cats and the ever present fox threat.  I've never seen one but I'm on the edge of an estate approx 500 yards from open farmland/large country estate parkland.  I'm aware that 80 foxes have been dispatched on that parkland this year so far. 

Whilst I'm around they will get to free range the entire garden. The original plan was for 3 bantams but with a coop area that size I thought it would be kinder to them to have 6, more to huddle up against each other.

Will also mention your comments on the perches to them as again, I'm sure they would be happy to modify to suit the little ones. 

Will post pictures as soon as they arrive.  Aug Bank Holiday weekend is the anticipated arrival but the breeder is happy to keep them till all is set up properly here just incase the build time runs over. 

Thanks one again very much for your time and sound advice. 

[hillfooter]

Thanks Hillfooter.  Great advice as usual. 

I did wonder about the inside of the woodenart one which is why I planned to drive out there.  I'm sure Smiths would onduline the nest box if requested.  They seem very ameniable to little changes. 

The hens would be confined whilst I'm out because of the neighbouring cats and the ever present fox threat.  I've never seen one but I'm on the edge of an estate approx 500 yards from open farmland/large country estate parkland.  I'm aware that 80 foxes have been dispatched on that parkland this year so far. 

Whilst I'm around they will get to free range the entire garden. The original plan was for 3 bantams but with a coop area that size I thought it would be kinder to them to have 6, more to huddle up against each other.

Will also mention your comments on the perches to them as again, I'm sure they would be happy to modify to suit the little ones. 

Will post pictures as soon as they arrive.  Aug Bank Holiday weekend is the anticipated arrival but the breeder is happy to keep them till all is set up properly here just incase the build time runs over. 

Thanks one again very much for your time and sound advice. 

Forgot you were thinking of bantams in which case the runs are fine for 6 of them.  How well is your garden fenced as bantams can be flighty?  Also check if the nestboxes can be shuttered to prevent roosting at night.  All Forshams are for example.

[birmancats]

Hi   Boundry's are a combination of 6 foot solid steel fencing (odd but looks good), 7 ft brick walls and 7 ft hedge.  I'll ask about the shuttered nest boxes as I'm sure they are not on the Smiths and don't know at all for others.  Will have a look at the Forsham ones now.  

Thanks again.