[Neelam]

Hello to everyone here!

Haven't been in the forum for quite a time due to private "stress" going on, moving home etc. etc. ...

Now everything is settled so far and I could return to my hope of keeping a trio or quartett of hens in our backgarden.

As I have a greenhouse as shelter for our 5 rabbits which is 1.90m in height, I was thinking wether I could build in a second floor for the chickens with their rooster and nesting place and a ramp going outside into a fully enclosed part of the run or if it has to be something separate as the only thing that I am not sure of is, if they won't get scared if the rabbits underneath make noise by jumping around at night.

For being a greenhouse, of course, there is protection from overheating on top and air ventilation without draught as same needs goes for the rabbits anyway. It has been just the easier solution for a rented property as I didn't want to take the chance that again I get a 30 days notice as last property and end up with moving my own home and a huge rabbit home with billions of screws...

Thanks for your help!

Neelam

[grinling]

check the landlord is happy for chooks inc the rooster.
set up sounds good, just make sure that neither animal can come into contact with each other including through wire. will need to make sure that chook food does not go into rabbit run. dark area for egg laying and will there be enough space for all the chooks if it is raining/snow to stop arguments.

[Neelam]

It should be enough. The greenhouse measures 2.40m * 1.20m and in height 1.90m. The plqce I can divede from the rabbits outside would be around 4sqm at least, probably up to 6sqm run.

The rabbits leave and enter the greenhouse through a pophole on its backside so I will have easy cleaning access from the front entrance. For a dark nestbox area I could use thin plywood to seperate it from the rest or use my old plastic pet carrier for it, if that is dark enough?

Thank you
Neelam

[nerdle]

Hello
Best way to find out is see if they are happy to lay in it!
Mine lay in an A3 plastic tray + woodshavings in a dark cranny on the floor but they would prefer something higher really.  Lavvy (lavender Pekin) regulary sqwawks to be let in where she hops up onto a shelf behind my computer monitor and lays eggs on a towel behind my letter rack. 

My girls live in the shed.  They have a gentle ramp then two perches above a deep shelf (sticks from the woods).  Auto pop hole in the door so no coop or run (garden fox proof).

[Sassy]

Even with the ventilation I would be concerned about overheating

[Neelam]

  I thought about overheating, too.

So far we had quite a few "hot" days and there is sun in our backgarden from noon till sunset.
The temperature inside the greenhouse measured at no time more than outside, I put a thermometer inside and have another one in a sunny place outside, too, so I guess that so far the roof coverage with the white sheets inside keep the heat good enough outside but I will keep an eye on.

Actually I have to wait as one of the rabbits got a wound hind leg and I need free access on him to check and care for the wound till it's healed. So hopefully we will have something similar to summer and I will know than better if the temperature remains constant.

Anyway, keeping chicken is nothing that should be done from now to then I think. I am planning and researching for at least a year now.

Thanks for all your help!

Neelam

[splash101]

My husband has converted a large rabbit hutch for my chickens.

I've sold all of my coops beacause I have an irritating back problem, and no matter how well designed the coops were, i still found there was always an area that proved difficult to reach.

Every time i cleaned the rabbit hutch, I kept saying it was so much easier to clean and space wise, it was bigger than one of my coops.

It is a large sturdy, heavy handbuilt hutch on a stand so it doesnt actually take up any floor space in the run and the hens can go under it for extra shade.

The rabbit sleeping area of the hutch is now the nest box. The only alterations we had to do was block the mesh front, put perches in and enlarge the access area from the main area to the sleeping area so they could get to the next boxes. They have a ramp but they easily jump up to get in.
Ventilation was already good.

I probably wouldnt do this with a flimsy commercial hutch that most petshops sell. But saying that, they must keep the rabbit safe.

[Neelam]

Sounds like another good idea to convert a rabbit hutch, I should have a chat with our bunnies what they think about it... 

Well, anyway, I have thrown all my plans away and completely decided to get a commercial large chicken coop with a small run for my birds. The coop itself will have (only) 0.7sqm but should be enough for 3 hens. It, to me, has the advantage which I hardly ever saw in a commercial coop, that the perches are higher than the nest boxes.  For the included run, this way they have a small run completely secure immediately and can come out in the morning whenever they feel to, but will have access to the bigger run when I release them into it, as I need to think of the best way to cover a run on top, still being flexible, but enabling me to stand up inside (any ideas?  ).

Besides the run they will be allowed to free range in the garden as long as I am at home. It happens that somehow the kitchen, that faces the garden, seems to be my main home so they will be supervised all the time 

I thought a lot about letting them share the run with the rabbits but since I read that a hen took advantage of a rabbits place and pecked the rabbits eye I changed my mind about this. I love my pets and don't want either one to get hurt "intentionally" for me knowing about the risks.

However, for the free ranging, how long should I wait after bringing the hens home, before I let them come out into the garden?

And as our fence has two parts broken which I finally closed myself with a mesh wire fence (100cm height), (unfortunately, our landlord doesn't saw the necessity to fix it though we were told it will be fixed before we even moved in...), I wonder, if this is heigh enough for them not to get over the fence or if I should but another part on top?

How about the backyard gate, what height will they manage to escape underneath? I don't think they can get under as the dwarf rabbits never did, but as I don't have any experience with chickens yet...

Thanks
Neelam

[nerdle]

My breeder said to keep mine in for a week but I let them straight out.  They really wnated a dustbathe and some fresh grass.