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I have a disabled one
Hence the eye wateringly expensive eglu as she can't manage ramps or steps. I was going to wring her neck, but so glad I didn't. She has such a personality, and has had a very happy 6 months so far. And lays an egg on alternate days
hopefully they gonna be happy and lay as and when they feel like they want to - no neck wringing for my little henrietta (name suggested by one of the p-taking allotmenters when i said i don't mind if they lay
a coop that size will seem huge to ex bats especially with a run as well.
it could take 10 but as a couple will probably die quite soon that would give 8 which would be comfy and far bigger that they were used to.
a couple more might well pop off during the laying season making it roomy for 6 (an ideal number of fairly small chooks for that space) .
you then have the choice of getting a few more and picking up the originals as they pop off over the next year or so
or
getting a couple of gallons of soup from the survivors when they go out of lay in the autumn,thoroughly cleaning the coop,moving the run and starting a new batch of ten.
i would favour the latter, they will have had a nice retirement , they get a kind end rather than getting ill or suffering the old chook things, they wont infect the next ones with anything or fight with them ( introducing new birds to an existing flock is a bit of an art form if one is to avoid unpleasantness) and you get a few very good "stock cubes".
it might seem rather brutal but battery hens are short lived critters and unlike some of the old breeds dont really do old age as matriarchs.
lps when building your pen think vermin as foxes can climb and dig so a roof is a good idea as is pegging/slabbing at least a couple of feet of netting to the ground outside the fence line ,rats n stoats etc are also an issue but require a different approach.
a pen that is easily dismantled and moved is sensible as rotating the ground is not only good for the birds health but good for growing stuff as well .
the frass from under the perching area is ace in a mixture tub but needs either that or composting (avoid too much leaching with a cover to keep rain off) , if used directly in the "raw" state as a plant feed it is a bit harsh on roots.
i have been thinking of laying under the whole coop and winter run area in wire and roofing it in exterior plywood
- however the internet seems to suggest it is better to lay the wire are a 90 degree angle at floor level and about 45 degrees at top - i really do not like the idea of an open top run as foxes are a big problem on the allotment and a few people have lost loads of chicken - and i do not want to add to this
a wire roof can be fox proof .
the 90 degree outwards along the floor does make the wire last longer than digging it into a trench,it is easier to move and if it is well held down tis more than a nights digging to get in ( a few inches into a slot is no great problem to radjel.)
the other advantage of a roof is that with open pens you will probably get very plump sparrows and pigeons (at your expense ) and the flock is more exposed to wild bird pests and diseases.
I may put some pics up tonight and show what i have done so far - as it has come along people have added ideas of what to do so it is ever evolving (improving)
One in particular was a great character - in the habit of pecking our toes when we wore open sandals.
Loads of work and aching arms now but I was pleased with the result
- i am paranoid of sean reynard paying a visit!!
i am so technocrap