Does anyone keep chickens in an EGLU?

Lizbetty

I'm keeping my eye on that sideboard..there were a few on freecycle but I missed out, dh it going to set about making something this weekend and he mentioned insulation so I think he's going for a chicken mansion, lol!

I am coveting this at the mo http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300156391464&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=020 but would have to wait for my numbers to come up to afford it (and the postage, tbh!). I'm going to show dh when he comes home and hope he can recreate it with what we have in our garage - can anyone see any problems with this design? It's difficult to know about flaws in the design until the chickens are here, but we can't get them til we have a home...bit like the chicken and the egg, lol! I even had to ask my dad how chickens sleep, whether it's in the nesting box or on a perch, etc, I hadn't thought of it really.

I think we may end up with more than the three chickens we were originally offered from Freecycle too, as someone else has offered us some chicks, which is a NIGHTMARE. How can anyone say no????!!!! :T

But waiting til we have got to grips with the big ones first before we say yes....

How's everyone else doing with their new chicken homes? I was horrified by the poster's experience of buying chickens as a newbie and ending up with cockerels! :eek:

I can tell you now that if that situation ever happens again, it will probably happen to me...stuff like that usually does!!! :rolleyes:

Luce

Poet_2

well, it's up! We don't pick the girls up til next weekend and there's still bit and bobs to be done but the coop/run are very nice and solid so if anyone wanted to get one from the ebay link I posted, I'd recommend it. Go here to see pics of it so far.....

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=274793#274793

Poet_2

Lucyeff wrote: »

I am coveting this at the mo http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300156391464&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=020

it looks very nice but I read and have been advised also, that felt roofs can harbour red mite which is a dangerous parasite.

Lizbetty

Your coop and run look absolutely fab! I'm sure they'll love it. It's a good idea to grow a bit of grass to put in there, I'll pinch that idea as ours'll be on patio/wood chippings.

I bet you can't wait til next weekend!!! DH is out and about at the mo buying shiplap and has decided it's cheaper to use the wood and stuff we have and build it from scratch. I'll see if I can put some pics on when he's done, though I doubt it'll be as posh as yours, Poet! : )

Penelope_Penguin

Lucyeff wrote: »

I think we may end up with more than the three chickens we were originally offered from Freecycle too, as someone else has offered us some chicks, which is a NIGHTMARE. How can anyone say no????!!!! :T

But waiting til we have got to grips with the big ones first before we say yes....

Loving the idea of a sideboard chook palace :T :T

Word of caution - chicks are a completely different proposition from fully grown hens. They need a heat lamp, different feed, loads of attention, and have a habit of dying unexpectedly. Unless you buy them ready sexed (which is done at about 1 day and no later, until they get adult plumage/wattling) you risk getting coquerells, too.

They're a great thing to do when you have some experience, but I'd agree that you're best to get to grips with hens first :beer:

Penny. x

fsdss

lucyeff

what is your hubby insulating his chicken coop with? the reason i am asking is that i am currently building a coop- from scratch ie no plans etc. with assortments which have been donated to me. it has cost me NOTHING and so i have lost nothing. the interior is being lined with an animal friendly rubber for easy cleaning. there will be no wood exposed on the interior. however in the middle cavity wall i would like to put in some insulation maybe if i could scrounge some loft insulation then that might do.

i was pleased today that my friends hubby came round today and he's a carpenter. he was very impressed with my construction and offered no criticism - i'm borrowing him one night this week to help me put on my pitched roof.

the wood came from the local wood merchants (in their scrap bin), and they gave me a box of assorted screws and nails, that had obviously burst open at some point.
i was given a sheet of exterior ply, and had it delivered to my home for NOTHING - no money changing hands etc.

when i went into the merchants i told them i was a woman on a mission to make a chicken coop, i think they felt sorry for me!!!

Lizbetty

fsdss wrote: »

lucyeff

what is your hubby insulating his chicken coop with? the reason i am asking is that i am currently building a coop- from scratch ie no plans etc. with assortments which have been donated to me. it has cost me NOTHING and so i have lost nothing. the interior is being lined with an animal friendly rubber for easy cleaning. there will be no wood exposed on the interior. however in the middle cavity wall i would like to put in some insulation maybe if i could scrounge some loft insulation then that might do.

I think he's using loft insulation leftovers from when he put mum and dads rubber roof on. I'd forgotten that they have a bit of rubber left over, fingers crossed it's enough for the roof.

I was worried about it being too warm for them, it'll be quite big but I imagine it'd get quite stuffy what with feathers etc. What do you think? I read on this thread about draft prevention, but am wondering how much ventilation to allow?

Magentasue

We keep our hens in a wooden coop - sort of like a 5'x3' shed. They have a window at the top with mesh across and a pop hole that is closed at night. The only insulation is the hemcore (like wood shavings) on the floor. I read up a lot before I got chickens but I don't ever remember reading that you should insulate a coop. I'm not saying you shouldn't but it's new to me. Even when we had our featherless ex-batteries we only put extra bedding on the floor when it was cold.

fsdss

Magentasue wrote: »

We keep our hens in a wooden coop - sort of like a 5'x3' shed. They have a window at the top with mesh across and a pop hole that is closed at night. The only insulation is the hemcore (like wood shavings) on the floor. I read up a lot before I got chickens but I don't ever remember reading that you should insulate a coop. I'm not saying you shouldn't but it's new to me. Even when we had our featherless ex-batteries we only put extra bedding on the floor when it was cold.

i have about a 2 inch internal space within the layers of the wood, and i just thought that i might as well insulate them!!!!, my draught hole will be about 2 inches squared and made to look like a window with shutters on the outside.

Poet_2

mine isn't insulated, if you insulate it with cavity walls etc you're just creating a prefect environment for red mite (which, if left untreated, can kill your hens) to hide and it will difficult to clean- wouldn't think insulation is needed or a good idea to be honest. Chickens come with their own insulation, I think they're called feathers

Just make sure your coop is draft free, it needs a bit of ventilation, some holes near the roof for example but make sure there are no gaps btwn the panels of wood etc and it should be fine.

Maybe ask some of the hen experts over at the omlet forum and see what they think...

We're using hemcore in our coop and run too.