[lucylou]

hi there!   I was wondering how much outdoor run space you would recommend for keeping bantams (not game types, more likely to be miniature larger hens if you get what i mean?)

Only had 2 to begin with but now Ive only got one little banti (Tracey)who is just coming out of quarantine after her friend died and im wanting to get her some more friends this week now that i know we are disease free!!(phew!)  Only had 2 to begin with.

[Kate and her Ducks]

Most of us recommend a minimum of 2m² per hen.

[themagicaltoad1]

How many were you thinking of getting? I bought one of those "wonderful new coops" that are very popular with us newbies, they were recomended for 4-6 hens and included a run. Within days of putting my 3 bantams in it I couldn't stand seeing them with so little space, even though they get te free range of my garden several times a day, so I built them this extra bit and they seem very happy now.

[lucylou]

thanks for your replies

my permanet run at the moment is approx 6 square metres and could not be increased in size because of where it is in the garden.  However, i have another similar sized area available(aalthough others in the family would not see it as available!_)- this would be thinner and longer that could have a run and coop built on it (This wouold be a mammoth job of persuasion as my poor husband spent days and days building the present set up expecting it to be housing 2 bantams fullstop!! Now i want more, maybe total of 6.  I thought i could keep 3 in each area and they could be free ranged all together occassionally in the garden?   

[lucylou]

i like your run magical toad - it looks as if you could stand in it? its so much bigger than what you started off with - the hens cant have believd their luck after being in their origianl space? what types of banties do you have? are they laying well?

[themagicaltoad1]

Sounds ok, you might find they pick their own friends to sleep with after free ranging and your plans could go out the window. If you look on the thread "different ages, different pellets" I've put pics on there of my girls. You can stand up in my run- there's no roof, but as my neighbour has just told me there's a fox often comes in her garden I'm going to have to put a roof on it and slab around the sides, tell your hubby it's  labour of love . My wife didn't want chickens and moaned like mad, but since I've had them she's been converted and thinks they're great.