VM
|
how many hens?re: space - how many hens would you think could comfortably live in a run of about 18 by 12, which is what we have at our allotment?
The five hens we have seem quite happy in it and looks like plenty of room for a couple more (which we are getting from Chez in a little while).
Found myself being tempted when looking at Pookie's list for sale - but I don't want to crowd them and think I'm probably being silly!
As they are at the allotment, they spend all their time in the run and can't roam free as they would eat all the veg. We are thinking of other things we can do, like perhaps put them out in the fruit cage on days when we are down for a while - but would take a bit of organising. The single RIR we have is the one of the five that I think looks most as if she wants to get out - others seem less adventurous and more content.
|
Jonnyboy
|
18 x 12 feet, yards or metres?
|
Chez
|
You can't let them out, can you, VM? In that case I'd allow *at least* a minimum of one square yard of pen space per bird; so (assuming you are talking feet!) that's ... er .... 24. But ... I'd feel uncomfortable with that many in that space, permanently. I keep a dozen permanent residents in that kind of space and they also get let out to run round the 'garden' most days. And then when I'm growing on, it probably doubles ... and then I weed them out and it comes back down again for a few months.
Erm, that's not very helpful really, is it? Short answer - ten or twelve.
But you'll drown in eggs, you know  .
|
RichardW
|
6 if the pen cant be moved & you dont want a mud bath.
|
Tavascarow
|
I agree with Richard.
If its a permanent pen it will soon turn muddy.
Any way you can make the run moveable or cut a second pop hole so you can rotate & rest?
|
Lorrainelovesplants
|
Just while were on this, does anyone have ideas to best use the empty space in a garden shed adapted for hens? The space above 3ft tall is going to waste. Seems a lot of room for 10 hens, when I could get 20 in (I know I could get a lot more in, but like to give them space)
|
wellington womble
|
As an aside, if you covered the run, would it help with the mud?
|
Northern_Lad
|
| wellington womble wrote: | | As an aside, if you covered the run, would it help with the mud? |
It's more bare earth than mud. But yes, to a degree.
|
wellington womble
|
Oh, that's OK then. There's more than enough mud round here!
|
JB
|
| Lorrainelovesplants wrote: | | Just while were on this, does anyone have ideas to best use the empty space in a garden shed adapted for hens? The space above 3ft tall is going to waste. Seems a lot of room for 10 hens, when I could get 20 in (I know I could get a lot more in, but like to give them space) |
I seem to recall someone somewhere suggesting that hens wouldn't particularly like a lot of space for a hen house, i.e. even with a lot of space they would still try to roost in something tiny.
(of course I could be wrong)
|
Chez
|
| Lorrainelovesplants wrote: | | Just while were on this, does anyone have ideas to best use the empty space in a garden shed adapted for hens? The space above 3ft tall is going to waste. Seems a lot of room for 10 hens, when I could get 20 in (I know I could get a lot more in, but like to give them space) |
I have my perches three or four foot up in the air, with a droppings board and a ladder (which they don't use). Then they get to use all the floor space to scratch around when it's wet. You could always try putting in a second storey and having apartments? .
|
pookie
|
| Chez wrote: | | Lorrainelovesplants wrote: | | Just while were on this, does anyone have ideas to best use the empty space in a garden shed adapted for hens? The space above 3ft tall is going to waste. Seems a lot of room for 10 hens, when I could get 20 in (I know I could get a lot more in, but like to give them space) |
I have my perches three or four foot up in the air, with a droppings board and a ladder (which they don't use). Then they get to use all the floor space to scratch around when it's wet. You could always try putting in a second storey and having apartments? . |
ditto, but droppings board a deffinite must 
|
VM
|
Went away for a day as soon as I'd posted this topic! So only just seen all the replies.
Our run is 18 x 12 feet, sorry!
We've put a roof on it so as otherwise would have been mudbath in no time at all - Manchester has been very wet this summer. It would have had to have some kind of roof, at least wire anyway, to keep out Mr Fox.
At the moment I've been turning over patches of the earth every so often to give them something new to scratch around in and stop it getting too compacted.
Can't move the run - it is a very solid structure! And anyway that would play havoc with the crop rotation I think. Basically they can't be let out except into something else enclosed. As I said, we're thinking of putting them out into the fruit cage when the fruit is over and on days that we're around for a while - plenty of slugs and bugs there. But it's not immediately next to the chicken run, so will involve collecting them all up and transporting them over to it!
Re: hen house - my partner made ours raised off the ground so that there isn't a cavernous space above them - and it means the space below the house is very dry and sheltered for those wet and windy Manchester days!
thanks for all the above replies
|
