[EnviroChick]

Hi everyone,

Bought a chicken coop the other day and I am busy making preparations for the impending arrival of some (2-3) silver sussex hens. Just wanted to stop by this part of the forum and introduce myself. I already posted in the welcome section of the forum

So here's a pic of the new coop! It'll be a few weeks yet before I have everything set up. It's currently installed on what was a vegetable patch. I have it all dug out to make sure I got up any stray potatoes or carrots and the rhubarb, and will be putting down either slabs or old scraps of decking timber as a base, then put down some wood chip bedding. The old veg plot is approx 4.5m long X 2m wide and I'm going to construct a walk in run to enclose the area.

The garden itself has a nice big lawn, so they can have a few hours roaming around on that during the day



So how does this plan sound to everybody else? Have ye any general advice for a first time chicken owner?!

EnviroChick

[ANHBUC]

   Welcome to the site.

Your plans seem fine.  Do be careful with any wood flooring as it can be really slippy when wet or frosty.  I have slabs in my walk in run and put a sprinkling of bedding on top for them to scrat about in.  Best if the walk in run has a roof which makes it loads easier to manage. 

Good luck with your new ladies.  Don't forget to post more photos of your project and hens.    

[EnviroChick]

  Welcome to the site.

Your plans seem fine.  Do be careful with any wood flooring as it can be really slippy when wet or frosty.  I have slabs in my walk in run and put a sprinkling of bedding on top for them to scrat about in.  Best if the walk in run has a roof which makes it loads easier to manage. 

Good luck with your new ladies.  Don't forget to post more photos of your project and hens.    

Thanks ANHBUC, no need to tell me twice about the timber, what I have is the remains of the decking that used to be just outside the back door. Dunno how many times I went ankles first into the air on it!

Yeah, was thinking about putting a proper roof on the run allright, but that particular part of the garden gets only an hour or two of direct sunlight at this time of year. I was thinking about putting together something thats removable so I can take it down if the weather is fair and be able to put it back on again quickly if the weather turns 

[Sassy]

Timber flooring works for people if it has chicken wire pulled tight over it and stapled on the underside. Not sure about this with chooks scratching on it though

[Kate and her Ducks]

Once you have chickens you will regret all that work digging stuff out. They would have done all that for you!!!
My ducks are currently preparing my soft fruit beds for next year. 

Welcome to the forum.

[ANHBUC]

My walk in run doesn't get much sun on it at this time of the year but we have put some clear corrugated sheets on as well as the black ones.  In the summer they will be glad of the shade from the black ones (or is that wishful thinking that we will actually get a summer!)   

Mine freerange for part of the day but often they go back into their walk in run so they must like it.

[EnviroChick]

Once you have chickens you will regret all that work digging stuff out. They would have done all that for you!!!
My ducks are currently preparing my soft fruit beds for next year. 

Welcome to the forum.

Thanks Kate,

Ha, it needed a good dig out anyway, it was full of the remains of last years cabbage and sprout stalks, plus there was a few bits of rhubarb in there that I wanted to get up in case the chooks took a fancy to it!!! Will be starting on a new veg bed this week and deciding what to grow. I love this time of year, all the planning and prep  I just hope the weather stays mild, looks like we're in for a bit of a cold one this week

[EnviroChick]

Ok, It has taken the bones of 4 months to get it completed, but today is a day of celebration. THE CHICKEN RUN IS FINISHED 

We've had such bad weather the last few weeks and progress was really slow, then we had a really bad storm earlier in the week and that pulled up some of the roof and loosened the galvanised mesh we had on the front of the run. Myself and the OH spent the last few days with a staple gun and other scary impliments reinforcing everything and we even managed to get the door up. Yay!

Chooks will be arriving tomorrow fortnight from a breeder in the next county. I'm super excited now. Just need to pick up the feeders, food, litter and bedding from the local agri-supplier and we're ready to go. 

Can't wait for the feathered baby's to arrive





Got a bargain on a water butt in the local hardware store so going to hook that up to collect all the rainwater from the roof. I'll be self sufficient before I know it

[ANHBUC]

   We can't see your photos 

[EnviroChick]

  We can't see your photos 

Oh no! I just modified the message ANHBUC. Can you see them now??

[ANHBUC]

Yes and it is looking really good.  Bet you can't wait for your ladies to arrive.

Just to point out for you to make sure they will have some shade from the sun without them having to go into their coop.  It will depend on where the sun shines in your garden so make sure they won't overheat.   

[EnviroChick]

Oh thanks for reminding me

That part of the garden gets so little sun at this time of year I nearly forgot! The coop is facing west, and because we are situated so high up we lose the sun very quickly once it starts to go down.

What would you recommend for providing shade?

[EnviroChick]

Got an email from the breeder last night with a few pics of my hens





Eight weeks old yesterday I know in my initial post I mentioned light sussex, but all bar one of them hatched were cockerals. Somebody already had first dibbs the white hen, so I'll be getting buffs instead.

Super excited now!!!!!!

[ANHBUC]

I love the colouring of the buff sussex.   

[EnviroChick]

I love the colouring of the buff sussex.   

They're lovely, aren't they?

The next two weeks cant go fast enough  Will have to start thinking of names!!