[maggiem]

Our hens are in Mr. Yannis old goat shed at night. Not very tidy looking but foxes and pine Martens can't get in as brick and concrete block built. We tidied it up a bit, made some nest boxes and put on a new door with a hinged flap. I think putting some bales of straw in for them is a good idea as we also use straw especially in the winter to help keep them warm. We also have a small wooden hen house which i bought from ebay supposedly for 6 hens but i don't think even two of our big girls would fit in it! At the moment i'm using it as a brooder but i don't feel it's as safe as the goat shed.

[Sassy]

Re not mixing ex batts with other hens. This may be to do with the fact that ex batts will have been vaccinated within an inch of their lives and lot of the breeds etc are not and it is not a good idea to mix vaccinated and non-vaccinated chooks. It is always wise to check with the folks selling you your hens whether or not they have been vaccinated.