[Mr R Design]

I think I will be taking the advice of Helenaj and not go for chicks. They will be somewhere between chicks and POL.

I have also taken note of comments about the space I am working with and changed my plans a little.

For now I will not be getting anything until I have done the extension which I have now started.

It is now going to be 6' 6'' by 6' (covered and 6' tall) and built to the right of the coop shown in the photos in my previous post.

This will basically give me an extra 40 square feet excluding the 12 square feet that is already there.

What I am trying to achieve is sufficient space for them to potter around in whilst locked up during the day when I am not around.

Once finished I will then be getting three chickens and I know that I will stick to this and not succumb to getting more. (my OCD won't let me, I have asked!!)

Does the fishing line thing above that two foot fence work by the way, seems an easy option if it does?

I can sort of see it working as I imagine they will try to jump up, bump into it and not know what it was because they can't see it and give up trying.

(Sort of like a force field in Star Treck!!)

If it does is it one strand or two etc I don't want to risk them getting tangled up.

[Beekissed]

In the original post, I had failed to see the 2 ft. fence part....2 ft. tall fence won't keep any chicken in, not even a 2 wk old chick.  I was thinking standard height chicken fence of 4-5 ft. tall, topped with two strands of tight fishing line to discourage hopping to the top of the fence posts and gates...this works pretty well to deflect them from any landing surfaces. 

I think increasing your space is a great idea...can never give chickens too much space.   

[Jomtie]

We have 3 girls, a copper black, a partridge and a bluebell. They have a 10' x8' secure, covered run for when we're at work and a fenced off area, that they go into when we're around, that's more than double that. But they still moan and want to come out to free range in the garden (which we let them do when we're in the garden). We've found that however much space you give them they'll always want more!!