Chickens.

More like 'Oi Mum where's my porridge, you've brought me some out every morning for the last few weeks & I haven't had any maggots lately!' She's a cheeky little devil!

 

When I got home tonight they all had empty crops , they are obviously a bit like me & can't eat much in this weather! However they tucked into some cold porridge & had some grapes! I've got half a melon in the fridge cooling for them, I thought they would enjoy that in the heat tomorrow! I also have some ice cubes for their water! Does anyone else do this much for their chickens? , my friends find it hilarious!

 

Used to ... then I realised they would lay regardless, and possibly more prolifically if I just leave them to do their own thing. The pampering is left to Echo and Ozzy .... but, they still haven't laid any eggs

 

Are Echo & Ozzy new hens @ point of lay @"M" ?

 

Erm .... ... pampered, for sure, .... point of lay? .... hmm, might be a stretch of the imagination going on ...


Echo - with his butter-wouldn't-melt look and on the point-of-lay ing on my lap



And Ozzy - with his butter-wouldn't-melt- look on the point-of-lay ing there for a belly rub

 

@"M" , I'm so sorry I didn't know Echo & Ozzy were your cat & dogs names! thank goodness neither have laid an egg!!
I have to say they are both very gorgeous

 

Welcome to GC Ozzie and Echo,
Jenny

 

Bliddy wish they would ... I'd make a fortune!!!

 

Hi All,

So we have finally got into the new house after 2 months at the in laws. Plans are now starting in my head for the new chicken run. There is a fruit cage that I will take out and build the run there. It is roughly 6 foot by 9 foot. Would this be enough room for 4 chickens?
I intend to do it differently this time, I will have a raised coop built into the frame of the run which will go the width of the run and 3 foot wide, so 6x3 with internal nest boxes x2. This will be framed in 2x2 and covered in treated tinge and groove 19mm thick. So the actual floor space will be the whole run and they will have acess to most of the garden when we are around. I am not sure of the fox situation at present, but the garden is very secure so they should be ok with us around. I have taken out a wardrobe in my sons room and will recycle the 2x2 from this, but treat with a couple of coats of creosote first. I managed to get 19 brand new 3x3, 8foot fence posts on Gumtree for £30 quid and I think I think I can get the tonge and groove for about £40. So at the moment the costs are being kept low. Plan to start construction in the new year (feb) depending on weather.

Rusty

 

Hi Rusty,
Extremely exciting news about the new chickens
The fox situation is a terrifying one isn't it? My hens free range all the time....which is daft, they can cause a lot of damage to your plants & of course they are more at danger whilst free ranging. Foxes are very cunning they dig under chicken wire & can jump over a six foot fence...eek. When you make the walls of the run its a good idea to dig the wire into the ground & shape it into an backwards 'L' shape (does that make sense?) the fox won't be able to work that out!
6x9 foot should be ok but I will say the bigger the better because once you have chickens you want more chickens! Also when your flock reduces you will want to replace them, for integration reasons it would be better if you could divide the run up in to two areas, that way you can put a bully in the fenced off area or new hens in the fenced off area whilst they all get used to each other.
You've done very well to do this so cheaply...I do like a bit of recycling, it's surprising what you can do with off cuts.
(I hope that makes sense I'm at work so typing very quickly) do let me know if you need any help or if I've not made sense!

 

Hi Beckie

I will put slabs down as the base of the run, so no danger of anything digging under. Unless armed with a Kango.

I am looking forward to getting started, but thing in the house have priority. Hoping to get most done over winter.

I miss my old girls terribly, but I know that they went to a good home and get regular updates as it was a work colleague that had them.

Rusty

 

Hi Rusty,

Sorry I had forgotten you had chickens before! it's lovely that they have a new home with a work collegue so you can keep up to date with them

you are right the slabs will keep the pesky fox & rats at bay, they are my two biggest fears.

Good luck with the house jobs, once you get cracking I'm sure you will get it round In no time at all

B

 

Hi All,

More bargain materials bought today. I managed to get 16 brand new tanilised 4x2's at 12 foot long for £40. I will use these for the sides of the run to connect and strengthen the fence posts and also for the roof timbers to mount the plastic sheeting on. I will also be able to make the run bigger by taking 2 foot off the patio and with a bit of gingery pokery the other way I think it will be more like 10x9 foot so 90 square foot rather than 6x9 foot 54 square foot. Fruit cage will be coming out either this weekend or next and then recycle the 2x2 timber it is made from for framing the coop. I can then start to slab the area at my leisure over the winter. Just need the tongue and groove for the coop, weld mesh and roof panels. Hopefully I can grab a bargain on these and really keep the cost down, but if not I actually think I can do the lot for less than £250.

At the moment the area that the coop will be is slabbed on 3 sides, so rather than slab Bing the whole thing, do you think if I put a row of 2x2foot slabs on the inside of the run will be enough protection from digging foxes? This way I can just top off the earth with wood chips and then the hens can dig around for grubs and stuff and also I will not need to make a dedicated dirt bath, so there will not be more floor space.


Rusty

 

Hi All,

Managed to get the fruit cage down and the area partially cleared.

Before:


After:

The coop and run will be the rather crude layout on the floor. Also recycled 13 pieces of 2x2 at least 6 foot long to use on the framing of the coop. I will lay slabs where the grass is on the right hand side up to the veg beds and then need to get a cutter to chop out some of the slabs. The coop will be built into the frame work and sit on the left hand side( where the green bin is). I was going to make it 6x3 foot, but I am now thinking to make it the whole 9 foot and use the extra 3 foot to make a storage cupboard for feed etc. I already have a galvanised storage that I used to use with my old coop. Do you think the storage is a good idea? It would make the construction easier as there would be 2 less posts to set.

Regards
Rusty