[magicfairy]

Ok, so I think we have made the run too small

We have 5 orphingtons, they have this house http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-CHICKEN-HEN-HOUSE-COOP-6-9-birds-collection-only_W0QQitemZ220744104453QQcategoryZ46292QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp5197.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D7891291578595031101

and we have made them a run which is 70cm wide and 3m long, which is the size of the area where it fits, if that makes sense.

We did do our reaserch but we underestimated the size of the orphingtons!

So, do we raise the coop and extend the run under? which would make it another metre long and higher in the main part.

Or, do we get another house and run and seperate them?

Or, move their coop and run to somewhere that we can extend the run more?

They can't be free ranged completly as foxes are around here, and in the summer we go away for the weekend etc and they would have to be checked on by a friend every other day or so.  they will be let out for about half of the week when we are around.

Please help, I am very worried now about their space.

[Casey76]

I'm sorry to say, but yes the run you have built is very small for five orpingtons.

to be honest, as they are Orps, I wouldn't want to raise the coop too much, as jumping up and down from a height can damage their joints when fully mature.

Personally I would move their coop and run to somwhere more "extendable" and perhaps invest in an electric fence.  You could them leave them to free range during the day within the confines of the electric fence in relative safety.

A 25m fence, posts, earth rod, and leisure battery shouldn't be too much more expensive than building 25m worth of movable hurdles.

Good luck