[JoeandSue]

Hi,

We are newbies looking to rescue a couple of ex-bats and put them in our back garden but we dont have a lot of money to spend.  From the research I have done so far, plan A is to pick up a second-hand rabbit hutch.

My main question is can we let them roam free around the garden rather than limiting them to a small run?? We live in the countryside and have a 50ft garden which is bordered by fields.   I wonder would they want to escape through the hedges or could they be "trusted" to stick around?  (We have a family of ducks that come and go, making use of at least one way thru the hedge). 

Cheers

Joe and Sue

[Foxy]

Hello Joe and Sue,

Firstly, a rabbit hutch may be a little small, unless its a large one. 2 hens will need 1 foot each inside their sleeping quarters, their run area, 1m sq each is the absolute minumum, however, 2m sq will give you much happier hens with less behavioral problems like feather pecking. The second watchout with free ranging is the fox, unless your birds are in a secure run it is a real risk leaving them out.

[Bruced]

...and the third watch-out is how much you are prepared to put up with the inevitable garden damage. It's not awful but flowers you can pretty much say goodbye to, and be prepared for some digging of dust baths in borders and kicking the contents of a border onto the lawn (great for de-stoning a border!) Plus cr@p on the lawn, but that needs picking up either way. Our compromise, made necessary but a horde of young children, was to fence of part of the lawn with some trees and shrubs, so they free range in a contained area.

Whatever you go for, make sure you know what is involved, but provided you do your research up front (as you are!) you won't regret it.

[Cass]

Hello!  We got our 3 chickens earlier this year (2 goldlines and a bluebelle).  They stay in their run quite happily for most of the day, then at about 5ish I go and let them out.  They have a good forrage around for worms, pick out our weeds for us, moonwalk around the soil areas then go back in to bed around 9.30ish!!  We have a secure garden - one of our neighbouring fences is only 4 1/2 foot tall and they have made no attempt to escape..........y..e..t.....

[oddpaws]

We sectioned off a large part of our garden for them, we have one girly who regularly takes herself off for a wander but is always back for bedtime. We are lucky in the fact that we have very very few foxes around us.

[karlooben]

hi there joe and sue and welcome to the forum  . personally i would suggest you take time making any decisions the only way to go really is to make a secure run for them an to make it as big as you can , it doesnt have to cost loads of money theres ways an means of doing things on the cheap .

i would hate for you to get your girls full in love with them an then lose them in a very horrible way .

i spent 3 months building my run and i think in the end it cost around £300 - £ 350 an its 10 metres by 6 m . so far it has proved to be very fox proof but only time will tell how long that will last for .

[Chookster]

Hello!  We got our 3 chickens earlier this year (2 goldlines and a bluebelle).  They stay in their run quite happily for most of the day, then at about 5ish I go and let them out.  They have a good forrage around for worms, pick out our weeds for us, moonwalk around the soil areas then go back in to bed around 9.30ish!!  We have a secure garden - one of our neighbouring fences is only 4 1/2 foot tall and they have made no attempt to escape..........y..e..t.....

welcome to the forum

sounds like you are well into enjoying your chickens now, just be wary of your 4 1/2 ft fence, mr fox will get over that if he is about in your area.  My chickens don't live with me as i live in a typical terraced victorian house right near the town but the fox recently took a neighbours 3 rabbits in one night! You never can guess Mr Fox's next move.

Did you say you had a bluebelle?? I think they are one of the most beautiful birds, i have one at the museum dig for victory garden - lovely natured too! Well I'm biased, i just think chickens are really theraputic and great to be around. Bless em!x