Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

mardatha

O for godsake that's not good. I'd be foaming at the mouth. I might be changing my plans anyway... have found that a local joiner makes them to order. He has a huge one on site, size 6x4 excluding nest boxes on the side, for only £288. I didnt want a wooden one but ....he will make them to your design and I might go for that instead. Get a smaller one.

angelsmomma

I am just thinking that myself now. I could get one designed and fitted by a joiner.

I did cancel and they are refunding me. I can't believe they use such a terrible delivery company. I always try to find out who the delivery company is before I order. I will never order from a company that uses parcelforce again.

cheeswright

consider theses guys

http://www.solwayrecycling.co.uk/pet-and-equestian-products/hen-coop-mini

I love my solway mini - and wouldnt go back to wood ( prev hen house)
for money

the guys sent me two runs which lock together I guess i could just keep adding more and more.....

it cost less than an eglu
I can move it on my own
Its not such a refined design - ie - I line it with newspaper so I can just chuck hen poo out
rather than a slide out tray thing - but my hens always pood on all the slats anyway
also jet washable - no mites
a while back they had an offer buy a big hen coop and get this small one free .. dont know if its still on..

Mojisola

wammy77 wrote: »

I've started to get an egg a day - they seem to be settled, we've had them a week now

Does anyone know where I can find out what colour eggs different hens lay? When I collected the hens that woman said they will lay different colours as I have 1 of each colour hen, but she didn't say which!! I'd like to know so I can keep track of which girl is laying.

What breeds are your chickens? Knowing that will help to tell which one is laying which egg.

You can tell which hens are laying and which aren't by checking their pelvic bones. If a hen is in lay there will be a big space between her pelvic bones - about three fingers wide. If she isn't laying the bones will feel quite stiff and close together. Of course, it depends on the size of your hens and your fingers but compare your birds and you'll soon learn the difference.

steady__eddie

eh up, watch out, it's that D.I.Y. geezer back again.
I never realised how much those Eglu thingies cost :eek:
Last year I had to replace the tiles between the upper and lower bay windows. I used upvc cladding which comes in various wood effects.
A 5 metre length one foot wide costs approx £22 (inc vat). The pieces just clip together and are pretty robust. Being upvc, it is possible to hose the inside (if your chucks are into graffiti). Using a timber frame (suitably glossed), I reckon that it would be possible to knock a council tax band 3 model up for less than 100 quid. White is apparently cheaper. The downside is that it fairly light (weightwise) so it would have to be suitably anchored to terra firma unless you want your chooks competing with Virgin Airways.

Disclaimer. I do not, and never have, been employed in the upvc industry.

LolaLemon

steady__eddie wrote: »

Disclaimer. I do not, and never have, been employed in the upvc industry.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

mardatha

Well the local joiners are making me one, 4x3, ready built for me with 2 nest boxes at the side, for £200 delivered. I'm happy with that. I liked the idea of plastic but its a lot of money for a totty wee item LOL

soupdragon10

I've looked at the plastic houses, but I'm not convinced that they would withstand the attack of a determined rat. I want to get back into keeping chickens again, was put off when I lost my entire flock of 15 buff orpingtons to a fox or foxes a few years ago.

Will probably buy a small shed and adapt this, especially if I go for Buff's again, as they are a tall heavy breed and wouldn't fit easily into many of the standard hen houses.

angelsmomma

mardatha wrote: »

Well the local joiners are making me one, 4x3, ready built for me with 2 nest boxes at the side, for £200 delivered. I'm happy with that. I liked the idea of plastic but its a lot of money for a totty wee item LOL

Is that just the coop though, willyou still need a run built?

mardatha

The way the garden is laid out it will be easy to do a run in chicken wire around the coop , my husband & son will do it. There's a shed and two fences already in place that will form 3 sides of the run once covered in chicken wire. Just need to make a front and a way in !