[rcf100]

Might be easier and cheaper to worm the children, then I can quit worming the cats and dog too 

[rcf100]

What do you folks reckon to this house? 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHICKEN-COOP-HEN-HOUSE-POULTRY-ARK-HOME-NEST-BOX-COUP-W130cm-x-D66cm-x-H110cm-/230750455075?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry&hash=item35b9cc8523

Will it be big enough for 3 normal sized chickens?  Will it be easy to mount on a stand?  Is it a good price as when I've searched on ebay by cheapest, this really seems the cheapest that would be appropriate (delivers/not felt/nest box incl)?

I'm going to go to the local farmshop, but I need to have something to compare it to, price, quality and size, so I need to know if this may be appropriate

[joyfull]

yes it will be big enough, you should be able to raise it onto a stand easy enough - if you can weld or know anybody who can then a simple angle iron framework would be ideal, and make it waist height so cleaning would be simple. You would just have to make a longer ramp for your girls.
Cleaning out could be a little bit difficult as the door isn't the full width.
I would try and fit a type of stopper to the pull out tray as somebody on here had a fox trying to get their hen by dragging that out and could get a jaw in to chew an entry in. - just a simple slide bolt would work.
Treat well with a wood preservative - ronseal, cuprinol etc before you put hens into it and again every year just in-case it's not very water tight.
Cost wise it's very good 

[GYO Girl]

That looks OK, its a similar design to mine, the only thing I would add is that, like mine,  the perches appear to be lower than the nest boxes so if your chooks are anything like mine they will sleep in the nest boxes not on the perches and poop in them at night, so you will get dirty eggs.  My hubby added an extra higher perch into mine to solve this problem (chooks like to get as high as they can at night, it makes them feel safer).

And it must be raised up off the floor, otherwise it's a perfect nesting place for rats.

[ANHBUC]

Welcome to the site.   

If you like buying local you will find that they will be more expensive as the one on the link appears to be an import.  The pop hole has a sliding door which is a nuisance when it gets blocked with nesting material and of course poo. 

You might find that you can buy a second hand coop locally on somewhere like preloved or birdtrader.  That way you could get better quality at an affordable price.  I have had my import coop with attached run for 16 months and am ready to replace it with a home made one in a walk in run.  It will probably be used as a hospital coop so it won't be wasted. 

[themagicaltoad1]

My coop is the same design as this. I actually have it at ground level with slabs underneath so nothing can burrow under it. There are a few drawbacks with it. The sliding door is a pain and not very secure. I replaced mine with one on hinges which doubles as a ramp when open, and locks with a bolt when shut, very simple job to do. It's a bit of a struggle to get into when you want to give it a good clean, but then mine is a bit deeper, and the slide out tray needs to be exactly on the runners or you won't get it in or out. I think mine is made of a different wood, I had some yacht varnish spare and painted the whole thing with it before putting the hens in. You don't really need one that big for 3 hens, I have 7 hens & a cockerel in one that is 100cm deep and they have with plenty of room. But if you do go for this one it's a very good price.

[rcf100]

THanks once again.  I asked down at are farm shop and one that wasn't as good as it didn't have a nest box attached would have been £220 and one that looked similar but much bigger than I needed would have been £350.

I think this one may just be ideal.  Because I live in the sticks then I doubt I'll be able to get anything second hand round here, but I will google bird trader to be sure.  Otherwise come payday then I'll have to be getting one similar to this and doing a few ammendments.  I actually live next door to a joiner, so I'm hoping that I may be able to get him to build me a a stand or change the door, for the price of some babysitting!

Now to hunt out the correct wire so I can get on with making it safe for my pretty ladies!

[ANHBUC]

If your neighbour is a joiner he may be able to make you a better coop for the same price if you show him the pictures of it.

www.preloved.co.uk

www.gumtree.com

www.birdtrader.co.uk

Try looking on these sites for second hand.   

[rcf100]

Thanks for those links.  Unfortunately not a single house in Cumbria on any of the sites!

I don't think I can persuede him to make me a full coop as he's doing up the house, but a stand while I watch the kids may be do-able!

[evie2]

Oh and vaccine/salmonella/anything else health wise with 2 young kids?  What to do, what to know?

Basic good hygiene should suffice our two, Evie (3) and Josh (18mths) climb inside the coop to collect the eggs, hand feed and hold the hens and rabbits and know they mustn't put their hands near their mouths and have to wash their hands with warm water and the 'blue' soap (antibacterial hand wash) when they come in

[rcf100]

Evie.  You obv have never met my two!  Hygine, well, they take after their dad!

Lol only joking, that's good to know, I jsut wasn't sure if their was any nasties that I hadn't heard about that was all.  As long as a hand wash will suffice then we're all good.

Just to be clear, I wasn't joking about how horrid my girls and husband are, they really are gross!  Just I'm the boss that's all, and I bribe well

[evie2]

They've both always been around chickens, rabbits and cats so even before they realised what was happening they were used to having they're hands washed after being with the animals.  Evie being, 'almost 4 Grannie' as she keeps telling me, doesn't need reminding and Josh sees water as a game, much as she did when she was his age, and the only problem I have is getting him out of the sink