[Lorie]

How many hens can u keep in a domestic garden...is there a limit legally..we already have 9,which are housed in an area 12' x 24' , and share 2 large coups,each of which can comfortably allocate 12 hens each..neighbours are fine no problems there..but how many is too many ?

[poultrygeist]

Hi Lorie

How long is a piece of string ?

I would say it depends how much mess they make already and whether you think anymore would overload the ground. You have a large area there for them but it's better to understock than over.
I doubt if anyone can really answer it for you without visiting. There are DEFRA reccomendations which are difficult to interpret for individual cases but we usually advise a bare minimum of 1sq metre per bird and 2 or 3 if possible. You are well within the limits so it's your own judgement that will count.

I don't think I've helped much.

Rob

[hillfooter]

You need to devise a sustainable system. For example by using one run while resting an alternate run and operating a 3month alternating cycle.  This way you can recover the grass so that it doesn't deteriorate into a chx sick mess.  If you do this you will break the worm cycle and keep disease at bay.  Whether you can restore the ground in 3 months will depend on the type of soil and how wet it is.  With heavy waterlogged clay 2 runs may not be enough.   Keeping chx on the same piece of land continuously you risk  it deteriorating into a smelly unsanitory mess which it will unless you use a replaceable litter and constantly pick up the droppings and sanitise regularly. 

Personally I would say 2 square metres is a minimum and working with a two alternate run system you would need 4sq mtrs and you have 32sq mtrs so 8 chx is reasonable max. so you are already at the limit I'd say.

If you don't want to allow for an alternating run system you will need to have a sustainable litter system and be prepared to be scrupulous in maintaning it.  I wouldn't want to stock at higher density than one chx per 3sq mtrs for a single run so you could keep around 11.

One bad winter will tell you how sustainable your system is.  If you live in sunny Kent, as Auntie does, or dry East Anglia as I do you will be better off than if you live in west Wales or other area with heavy rainfall.

I keep my chx on grass and operate an alternating run system and don't stock at greater than one chicken per 4square metres (ie each run is 48 sq mtrs and the most I keep in each run is 12 L/F Chx) as my ground is heavy clay.
Hope this helps.

Regards

[SMD66]

I agree with the other 2 posts, less is better.  If you have limited room then eventually it will become a mess and very un-hygenic.  Alternating between runs is best if at all possible.  The room in the coop is less of a problem as they only sleep and lay in there and it is easier to keep clean.

[nzdunn]

could i just tell you about my set up, my girls live between two coups, well i say coup, ones a kennel and the other is a big rabbit hutch that we have altered for them.   THey only roost in these and lay eggs.   Mine then have a garden for themselves and then they used to have the big garden aswell but i have recently bought some fencing and fenced a biggish corner of this of and joined it onto there little garden, i wanted to rest the big garden over the winter.   My plans are to keep the girls on this all of winter and then change to the bottom of the big garden come spring, and then let the grass rest wot they are on now.   About hygine, i poo pick everyday will this be ok with them being on the same grass until spring, i only have a few girls and theres loads of grass.      nickyx