Chickens, Coops and runs on the island of Crete

Raycrete · « **on:** November 09, 2008, 17:47 »

I am born in London, but I live on the island of Crete.

I am starting to keep chickens and I need some ideas about the coop and run. So maybe some web pages with free plans or some good advice will help.

Here on the island of Crete I have no ideas about species or whatever - I don't think that we have foxes and many people here keep chickens, they are easy to get and so is the feed. But most chicken areas I have see have been made of pallets and bits of canvas covering them. The climate is better than the UK, of course, but I want to build a UK or even USA style coop and run. Please help.

Ray

Vember · « **Reply #1 on:** November 09, 2008, 19:06 »

Hi Ray

Welcome to the Hen House

There are a few people here that have made their own coops so I'm sure you won't be short on advice

There are also a few ideas in the design & construction section on here

I have just found this link there is another link within the post which might be handy for you

LINK

Sarah

poultrygeist · « **Reply #2 on:** November 09, 2008, 21:54 »

Hi Ray. Welcome in.

You'll need to allow a lot more ventilation than we would of course !
I would imagine there'll be something that replaces foxes in the food chain. Hopefully something very slow and blundering

Rob

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #3 on:** November 09, 2008, 22:03 »

I have just made my own coop without too much difficulty (and I'm a girl with only very basic skills).
I adapted a flat packed garden storage chest by fitting a door and as I have ducks that was about it. Nest boxes would be easy to add and a roosting bar as I am having chicken cravings so wanted the option to add them if I cave in

This is what mine looked like

Pep · « **Reply #4 on:** November 10, 2008, 14:54 »

Hi Ray,

Welcome to the forum.

This link may help.

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=22367&highlight=

Good luck and photo's when finished please!! It's the forum law, ask anyone.

Pauline

Raycrete · « **Reply #5 on:** November 14, 2008, 21:53 »

Thanks for the replies. It seems that in Crete the chicken keepers have a run surrounded by simple chicken netting. Again I asked about foxes but they all said there is no animal like that on the island, and I have certainly never seen one.

Many people keep a goose or two or even a dog and its kennel in the chicken run to help protect from cats I guess, and they also have a shelter - often a tarpaulin or piece of plastic for when it rains in the winter, but that is all.

As for perches, well the chickens tend to sit on anything around, rabbit cages in one instance. I tried to find out about breeds and they said maybe in Athens they have breeds but here chickens are what you get, whatever they are. You have to buy them in spring around March as baby chicks and you grow them. No-one knows if they are cocks or hens but you find out in a few months and do what you have to do. You can buy them in the city of Hania and you just go in and ask for whatever number of chicks you want. The price is between one and two Euros - 80p to £1.60 each. They sell them in the market and at little shops around the city.

I still haven't seen anything resembling a chicken coop anywhere. The feeds are available locally though, but how they compare with the UK I have no idea. But I will find out. I have certainly seen a whole load of chickens this last week though and they all look so healthy and lay really well. Most people just leave a couple of cardboard boxes in the run usually under shelter with something soft in it like a piece of blanket or some straw and these are the nest boxes where the hens leave their eggs.

It is a whole new experience.

Ray

poultrygeist · « **Reply #6 on:** November 14, 2008, 22:18 »

Sounds like you could be a pioneer ray. If you build a nice wooden coop, they'll all be wanting one.

You'll be the sophisticate with the cosmopolitan hens !

They do seem to have simple needs and I guess local customs are adapted to local needs. You could try taking some photos of the local chickens and see if anyone can identify them.

Good luck with it all and keep us updated. It's fascinating to hear about different ways of doing the same thing.

Rob

Jellyhead · « **Reply #7 on:** November 15, 2008, 10:12 »

Hi Ray, You could also think about getting someone to post you some eggies. Its worth a try and you could get an incubator from ebay. I had some eggies brought over and 2 out of 6 hatched. Now if you can get a breed going as well as Robs suggestion of wooden coops you could be starting a whole new money making enterprise........how lovely

naughty nick · « **Reply #8 on:** November 16, 2008, 17:22 »

I'm just jealous of you living out there, we used to live in Tenerife, but the missus wont move back :cry: , I could bring some hens over and build a coop!!!

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Chickens, Coops and runs on the island of Crete

Vember

poultrygeist

poultrygeist