[Timbo47]

Hi Members, I've just joined on here, as I'm in the process of thinking of getting  two or three Hens from a sanctury that rescues Battery Hens. I'm also going to build my own Hen house/run , that will be 3ft x 10ft in area, about 4ft high. How many Hens would this suit?. I guess the House would be 3ftx3ft with the rest being the run and below the house too.   What is best as the floor of the run, as I was thinking Grass? Or would Bark chippings be suitable?. Or would a roof over the whole  thing be best?
I just need some basic Info really, being a novice.
Are illnesses quite common in hens?. I look forward to any comments here.
Thank you in advance!
                                                Tim

[matilda duck]

Hi Tim welcome to the madhouse!!!!

Just a little one .....Ex-Batts are wonderfull BUT incredibly hard work.  When you get them some cant stand and don't know how to move let alone run around and do chickeny things.  Alot of them will have gone through quite a trauma from going from the farm to the pick up point, and then to travel to your house.  We had 4 and 1 just couldn't cope and died after a week, 2 are very healthy looking, and 1 still looks oven ready!!

Good luck with what you do and theres loads of advice on here.  I hope I havn't upset you or put you off thats not my intention...I just want you to be happy with your choice.

[Timbo47]

Hi, thanks for that. The Sanctuary in question already has the Hens running around in a nice paddock, so maybe they should be fit enough?.  Though another question  or two I have is......Would I need a Cockerell?  I'd hope not, due to living in a residential area.
The other question is.... as there seems to a few local Cats that frequent my garden.....and I own a Cat too!.  Would they stress out the Hens too much?
I thought I'd ask these questions before considering getting my Hens.
I appreciate any advice here.  Thanks!   Tim.(In staffs)

[matilda duck]

Sorry should have read the word sancturary

They should be better then!!!!!!
You don't need a cockerall you are not intending breeding are you?   Cockeralls are only for breeding purposes

Most people on here have chickens and cats  believe me a cat will come off far worse!!!!!

Hope that helps  x

[sminky]

Hi
we have a cat and there are many others nearby. They sit & watch from a distance

[madcat]

When moved here, I brought 3 cats.  The lady over the road had very insecurely fenced chooks, so over the cats went to have a look at these big noisy birds.  The two younger ones came back smartish and paid no further attention to the birds.  The smartest, smallest and oldest lurved, absolutely lurved, sleeping in the hen house on wet days.       No problem to the birds at all.  They seemed to find a balance. 

[karlooben]

i got 14 ex batts last august an then another 7 within a month of that , before that i had never even touched a chicken before let alone look after one .
so far apart from illnesses which most ppl seem to suffer from with other breeds i havent had any probs looking after them i find them very friendly within 24 hours all my girls were following me everywhere i went an most even let me stroke them .

[poultrygeist]

Hi Tim. Welcome.

In an area about 3m x 1m you'd only fit a couple of hens. Ex-bats have spent their lives in cages and really need as much space as possible to give them a decent life from now on.
I would suggest getting a couple of hybrids rather than ex-batts and you'd need to move your run round now and then. They'll turn the grass into dirt within a week. Bark chippings would be a better idea.

Rob

[wildwitchy]

i got 14 ex batts last august an then another 7 within a month of that , before that i had never even touched a chicken before let alone look after one .
so far apart from illnesses which most ppl seem to suffer from with other breeds i havent had any probs looking after them i find them very friendly within 24 hours all my girls were following me everywhere i went an most even let me stroke them .

Very similar to me. I got mine in October 08 from the BHWT. I had my leghorns & orpingtons in the sept. I had 6. Some were oven ready almost, some were feathered. I've just recently had a couple of scares with soft eggs but forum members have been very lovely and offered advice as I'm new here & new really to keeping my own chickens. My first port of call if I'm worried is here - I have a look to see if I can find the answer as they're all more knowledgeable than me! lol..

[Timbo47]

Thanks very much Indeed for all the help here so far.  It has helped greatly.
The Hen House I intend building will have to remain in the same place, due to lack of space.  So I will use bark chippings as a floor material then.  I just feel bare soil would not be too nice in wintertime, though I do intend covering over the run area with either a felt roof or plastic sheeting.   The House Interior (Nesting quarters) will be "Approx" 3ft Square.  So just two Hens then?.  The outside run will be 10ft x 3ft.
Any further comments very welcome.   Thanks guys & gals!     Tim.

[poultrygeist]

Although 10x3 looks a lot, they would naturally roam over 10s of sq metres through a day so you need to either allow more space in the run or let them out into your garden for a few hours every day.

Rob

[andreadon]

even widening the run by one of two feet would be good.

Aunt Sally has 2 hens and they're okay, but I would recommend starting with 3 because you never know what might happen to one of them.

and put layers (eg shelves and tables) in your run for extra excitement.

and i do agree with Rob about letting them roam in the garden for a couple of hours every day.
 

[Jeanette]

Dont forget that when you first get your ex bats their legs might be weak so any room that you can give them is great to begin with. I have got 8 ex bats and they are great but it was nearly 2 weeks before they could walk properly. It will take a couple of months before they look like real chooks but when they get all the feathers they are beautiful.  Jeanette

[andreadon]

but be aware that they don't always grow their feathers back as quickly as you'd like - Rita was very very scrawny when she came out last july and she still looks like a hlaf-plucked rosting bird!
where she has feathers they are big and fluffy, but her tail is still scraggly and her neck is too.

but she's as happy as larry, and she does get plenty of food!

[Timbo47]

Thanks once again for all advice here, which is being digested by me!. I Intend getting my Hens from a place In Cornwall, someone I've known a while who has a great paddock with the Hens running all day outdoors. She rescues the Hens, with other livestock too.
So I'm confident they will be fairly fit , but i'll be prepared for them looking a bit forlorn for a while then. I hope they will travel in my car Ok (In a large box?) back to the Midlands.
I hope to begin making my Hen House/Run this weekend.  I won't get the Hens till July though, when I'm down there on holiday.