[nerdle]

Assuming a 'pop hole' is the chicken's doorway into a coop...
I'd love a Silkie but another breed might be smaller/better......

[Casey76]

To find a bird which will be comfortable going through a 5in pop hole you are going to have to look at true bantams (birds which don't have a large fowl equivalent) as a lot of "bantams" are acutally quite large.

E.g. a bantam orpington can quite easily be the same height as a hybrid layer such as a warren.

My bantam wyandottes could probaby squeeze though a 5in pop hole, but it might touch their feathers .

The thing with silkies is that they can't fly, and depending on the level of expression of the "h" gene (hookless) even their primary flight feathers can be quite soft, so having the door 5 feet in the air might not be such a good idea.

Bantam leghorns are quite slight, even if they have got quite long legs, but they should still lay a reasonable sized egg.  A true bantam, like a sabelpoot, will have no problems with a 5in pop hile, but their eggs tend to be about 35g only 9which is still very large in comparison to thier body size.

[nerdle]

Thank you!  I have soooo much to learn!

Kate

[Casey76]

You're welcome!

[Lewjam]

Dont suppose you can just take a saw to your pop hole and get the hens you want?

[reidi]

I have an old pigion shed in my allotment and my slikies and the black rock hens some how get through the openings for pigions to lay there eggs.

reidi

[nerdle]

Thank you
The reason I ask is I'm divising and antifox strategy.  If a fox can't get its head in I won't need to close the door at night is the theory.  I'll need to invent a rat proof ladder as well.  Now I need to know how high a rat can jump!

Kate

[evie2]

It's not really a jump problem. 

Not wanting to put anyone off their tea, I wont go into too much detail, suffice to say they are the Houdini of the animal world.  They climb walls, pipes, squeeze through the impossible spaces and can eat through plaster and wood.  Many years ago I worked in an old building in the west end of Glasgow, the area was infested with rats who though nothing of coming out when we were in the office.  One of the girls had her lunch  in her closed drawer.  A rat came down the chimney, walked along a shelf, jumped down and crawled up inside the carcass of the desk, only to reappear seconds later with the sandwich in it mouth and make it's escape back the way it came.

[nerdle]

Oh my goodness!

I think I need to listen to a rat expert before going any further.
There must be something a rat can't climb that a hen can.  Yesterday a friend told me he once saw a rat jump onto a hanging swing three feet high!

Ships and boats have an anti rat device on the ropes then tied to the harbour - maybe I could devise something like that?  Might end up hen proof as well!

Kate

[evie2]

I really think keeping chickens is more than just providing a coop.  Silkies have their own special needs and you can't just leave them to their own devices.  Pop holes are there to be closed at night to keep the chickens safe. 

[nerdle]

Yes you are right.

Kate