chicken tractor

Having had the fox take the last of my dowager Black Rocks Crying or Very sad

, I want to have six hens in a wheeled house with detachable run for ease of moving, and shift them every day. I have no problem with moving the outfit, but what is the minimum size and dimensions of house? I take it, minimum length must be a perch with six chummy hens on it. Nestbox(es) could be bolt-on, no problem. Can someone put me on the right road? I want to avoid a Chickingham Palace made of pallet wood that weighs a ton! Surprised

Thanks in advance. Smile

chez

I think you're supposed to give them twenty centimetres each, perch space and ten centimetres at least, each side of the perch. And 1 or 2 square feet minimum floor space inside, depending on how heavy a breed they are.

There is a DEFRA guide somewhere on their website (which I have helpfully deleted from my bookmarks and now can't find again) which I remember being quite scary reading when you realise that the measures they give are probably what the commercial boys adhere to; even the 'freerange' guidelines seem to me to be an absolute minimum for happy birds.

I think it was under 'marketing descriptions' rather than 'poultry welfare' - I'll have a rootle round and see if I can find it - at least it gives somewhere to start.

Edit: I think this is it.

MSASTLES

Our chicken house is 4X6 with a 4X12 run. The run comes off and the house is on wheels, very easy to push. Machine Mart sells a range of wheels. We move the house and run every 3 days. Works well.

Cheers MS

Bodger

It is run space that makes the difference. The shed part of the accomodation is literally only there to provide laying and perching space.
I always roof my runs with either corrugated perspex or felted board. This means that the runs stay dry and don't become smelly mud baths. I also use woven plastic on one or more of the sides of the run to provide relief from the prevailing wind and it also stops driven rain.

Your chicken accomodation should be comfortable for your chickens and just as importantly it should be comfortable for you.
There's nothing more irksome than having to crawl on hands and knees to get into inaccessable dark corners.
Think ease of access and you are more likely not to put off doing the things that you must for your chickens welfare. Make your own pens by all means, its all part of the fun but avoid the Heath-Robinson, that'll do for the time being type of construction. They make keeping chickens hard work.
I know, because I've been there. Very Happy

chez

bodger wrote:

Your chicken accomodation should be comfortable for your chickens and just as importantly it should be comfortable for you.

I'll second that! Smile

lowri

Thanks for the very useful advice! Our local Free-ads has an ad for 2 year-old laying Black Rocks (ex-free range organic). I have had hens from this lady before and they are ace, but I have to get them now before they all go. They will have to have TEMPORARY accommodation in a custom-built paved kennel and dog-run, within sight of the house, absolutely fox-proof. Cost being at a premium - there will only be 6 of them -I can't feed them organic pellets, but a mixed diet of greens (cabbage tied up to peck at, etc ) usual wholesome contents of "chicken bucket" -NO cooked meat, fish, processed food - fruit and veg., cooked peelings with a little cooking oil added - clods of turf (I know about no cut grass, having had crop-bound hens in the past). They'll get some mixed corn, plentiful supply of water and grit - is there anything else they might be lacking? Would straw on the floor of the run be a good idea? (a la Lady Eve Balfour) This IS temporary, and a portable extension to the run may be devised with hi -line rabbit cages in tunnel formation!

alison

I would give them layers pellets, myself, rather than mixed corn, as the diet you are proposing is heavy on the treats side, imho.

Treacodactyl

This might help you with what you can feed.

http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Raising_livestock/Feeding_Chickens/

It does need to be updated to state you should not feed any kitchen scraps to hens, even veg peelings or outside leaves of a cabbage. Garden scraps that haven't entered a kitchen are fine.

lowri

STOP PRESS! Yesterday evening about 8.10 pm I glanced out of the sitting-room window and there was a fox trying to get into the dog run (see previous post) and take the Black Rocks and their new boyfriend. He failed utterly - hooray for Weldmesh! Laughing

It does however throw a dark light on a moveable run, so I am having a re-think on the lines of a Weldmesh tunnel (upside-down hay racks) to a secure run possibly with electric mesh fencing? Is this fencing expensive?? Crying or Very sad

The hens were remarkably calm during their ordeal - I don't know how long it went on for - and enjoyed a few peanuts as a treat. They roosted with no problem, but I wonder if the egg-count will go down from the shock Question

Bodger

Make your run but use twi weld

James

what's twi weld?

Bodger

Its this stuff Jim.
The size of the canary should give you some idea of the scale. No fox could get through it as long as it is well secured. I've had a fox rip a hole right through brand new chicken netting however.
Weld mesh is definatley over kill.

James

cheers bodger.

lowri

Twi mesh sounds good and is presumably cheaper than weldmesh. Of course the run was originally a dog-run (Jack Russell terriers.) Will do some investigating/pricing. Thanks Bodger. Judging by the photo of the canary, I imagine Twi mesh would be useful in the event (perish the thought) of bird 'flu?
PS The girls have kept laying quite happily. Very Happy

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