[lightyears]

Now the allotment is sorted i want to move into chicken keeping, ive set aside an area of plot around 30 foot by 30 foot to build an enclosure and house for them, thing is, will this space be enough for say 4 or 5 hens?

many thanks in advance

[Kate and her Ducks]

Sounds like that will be loads of room. There is loads of info on getting started in the info section.

[poultrygeist]

Hi lightyears.

That'll be a lovely area for them. Depending on your budget, try and go for the best materials from the off and you'll be sorted for years to come.

Foxy's fox-proofing thread HERE gives some ideas about keeping the predators out, which will also keep your hens in.

As Kate suggests, there lots of info HERE about poultry keeping problems and how to avoid them, as well as havign a good trawl through the forums should give you soem good ideas on design and construction.

Rob

[kimT]

I agree with the above..............plenty of space. Good luck.

[lightyears]

i completely over looked that info section! sorry folks  

[poultrygeist]

far better to ask the questions now and do it the right way than get them and find you haven't got enough room and need to spend out hundreds making it fox-proof.

The more you ask, the happier the experience  

Rob

[lightyears]

about the foxes, the man next door to me has a huge flock of chickens, must be around 40 or 50 and has been advising me on it, he shot a couple of foxes earlier on in the year and hadnt seen any since, but i suppose were there is food there is a fox!  

[Foxy]

Not so much food lightyears but a vacant territory and only a matter of time before a new one moves in. If you live in a relatively rural area -foxes diet consists mainly of small rodents,rabbits, insects and fruit when available.
Unfortunately, you may only realise a new fox is around when he discovers your birds, so never rely on the fact that you haven't seen any but presume they are around and you will be fine!
Good luck on your chicken keeping, lucky you too have a chicken keeper close by!

[karlooben]

hi light years, my run an house is also on my plot which is behind my garden ,. i have 24 birds in a 10 m by 6 m run an that seems to be ample of room  but in the spring i am looking at making into a multi storey run but thats just an idea at the mo.
i spent around £400 in total on my run and i have had foxes poo on the paths rite next to the wire fencing an they havent even attempted to get in yet ,,, i know i am tempting fate saying that  but if you dont live close by to the plots like i do that i would suggest to consider spending just that bit more money on quailty fencing etc so u can be sure its as fox proof as can be . my run should last many many years without ever having to have any work done to it .

[Kate and her Ducks]

Not so much food lightyears but a vacant territory and only a matter of time before a new one moves in. If you live in a relatively rural area -foxes diet consists mainly of small rodents,rabbits, insects and fruit when available.
Unfortunately, you may only realise a new fox is around when he discovers your birds, so never rely on the fact that you haven't seen any but presume they are around and you will be fine!
Good luck on your chicken keeping, lucky you too have a chicken keeper close by!

Couldn't agree more!

I happily assumed I had no foxes near me as I live in an urban area and had never seen a fox in 7 years alone and 18 months with ducks. Still haven't seen one but it still managed to scale 2 6' fences to kill 2 of my ducks and injure another 4 of my 8 ducks.

Always assume they are about waiting to get your girls!

[lightyears]

hi light years, my run an house is also on my plot which is behind my garden ,. i have 24 birds in a 10 m by 6 m run an that seems to be ample of room  but in the spring i am looking at making into a multi storey run but thats just an idea at the mo.
i spent around £400 in total on my run and i have had foxes poo on the paths rite next to the wire fencing an they havent even attempted to get in yet ,,, i know i am tempting fate saying that  but if you dont live close by to the plots like i do that i would suggest to consider spending just that bit more money on quailty fencing etc so u can be sure its as fox proof as can be . my run should last many many years without ever having to have any work done to it .

my plot like yours is just a stones throw away, im not going to go half hearted into this anyhow, gonna build a fortruss strong as can be( dads a carpenter by trade ) i plan to start small, learn the job then expand with time. best way i can see forward  

[karlooben]

if u want to be double protected on the roof then get some thin strips of steel bend them to a 45 degree angle an drill holes though  place  them to the top of the run an then add as many strands of thin wire as u like , aint nothing going to get over or though them my place looks like a fortess an ppl always coment all i need is little men in each corner with machine guns     . will try an get pics if you want it mite give u some ideas .