[joyfull]

I think a lot of us bought one as they said it could house so many hens. When we built mine and put just 2 hens in i thought my hens must be a rare giant breed  :blink:. Mine is now to be used as an emergency hospital should I ever need it, plus I also fixed weld mesh on the bottom to stop burrowing critters getting in but the grass can still get through.

[SMD66]

Just something else to consider when looking at the size of the run; you will have to put a water and feed container in there so the 1st run you linked to would be left with no room for 2 hens to turn around in.
My advice would to go as big as buget and space allows

[EggBound]

Like Scabs I also bought the second one - it is nowhere near big enough.  I ended up putting it inside a shed and built an outside run, and the chooks just use it as a nest box and to sleep in in the winter.  In the summer they perch on top of it within the shed.  Once the food and water containers are in there is very little space for them and they knock everything over.

[Chicken n Veg]

Hi MagicLady, I have only been keeping hens myself for a month and a half, but did do quite a lot of research before choosing my hen house. For a compact integrated hen house / run for a couple of hens, I think that a raised Ark style is very practical (similar to the "Cottage 6" design in the photos Hensington linked to early in this thread). I did not go for one of these myself as I ended up with a larger number of hens (and probably more to come now I am hooked !). For a smaller number of hens, however, some of the advantages I came up with for a raised Ark are:

• Compact footprint (house and run share same area)
• Easy to add run extension at later stage
• Sheltered from rain (keeps food dry)
• Shaded in sun
• Moveable (most have arms to be picked up and moved)
• Convenient height access for cleaning / egg retrieval
• Raised hen house stops rodents setting up home
• Reasonably fox proof (improved with extra weld mesh around base)

Definitely get one that is supposedly suitable for more hens than you need. As other people have said, most manufacturers overstate the number of hens they are suitable for. From my observations it seems that the number quoted might be arguably acceptable for the hen house itself, but not for the run. You need enough room for the hens, food, drink and dust bath (I use a shallow tub trug for this).

There are number of UK manufacturers producing similar designs (and also the usual Chinese imports). Forsham Cottage Arks, based near you in Kent, produce a range called the Boughton. This appears to be very good quality but at a premium price. Perhaps you could pay a visit to have a look at their various designs / sizes and ask them for advice, before choosing a supplier of your choice.

John

[MagicLady]

Thanks for all the advice guys - it's been really helpful.

It's looking like the hens may have a new home now as someone else has PMd about them, so if that's the case it's all a bit academic now.  But it's definitely something we'll look into more for the near future.

[joyfull]

If I was you I would really get everything sorted out first and then look for hens, that way you minimise any problems. When you are sorted click on the poultry page at the top and you will find a section which is for poultry suppliers some of which should be close to you, if not then just shout out on here and and someone may be able to recommend or help you out  . I had my set up ready for a couple of weeks whilst I studied which breeds I wanted - which for me is unusual as I'm normally very impatient but dealing with living things I thought it was worth the trouble. Joyfxx

[LittleRedHen]

Oh my, perhaps two bantams would fit.  Hens need room to run about, dig, and flap their wings.

[themagicaltoad1]

I bought one of the 2nd types for my 3 bantam chicks but felt so sorry for them in such a small space, even though I let them roam the garden for a couple of hours a day, (have to juggle garden time with the dogs). I ended up building them this extra run which they are very happy with. It has hinges and is not permenantly fixed to the coop so can be folded down and put away easily.

[too many girls]

personally i think they are both too small to house hens in if they are going to be kept confined.

there is also a new product on the market (which was advertised in my FUR & FEATHER mag  for my rabbits) that if sprayed on the wood distroys any micro-organisms and wood burrowing creatures and also protects the wood for upto 1 year stops rot, and mould and is animal friendly (you have to let it dry for an hour).

would you mind sharing the name of this wonderful new product?