Chicken Keeping

Information and help for keeping Hens in your Garden

Making Space to keep Chickens

Examples of where two Forum Members have put their's!

Every garden is different; big, small, long, wide etc. and if you're thinking of keeping Chickens but unsure where to put them, look around and you're sure to find an area which you haven't got round to tidying up or didn't know what to do with it.

Chickens don't need to be kept in the middle of a Lawn. If they are, the grass will last about five minutes and you'll be constantly moving them around. The ideal I guess is somewhere where they get shade and have something to scrape around in. Chickens can bear the cold quite easily, they don't like being too hot though, so alongside a fence or in a relatively shaded area is usually best.

I was looking through the 'Forum Members Chicken Coop Pictures' the other day and came accross these two excellent set ups where both have used spaces not recognized for 'the norm' if you like.

Set-up One; Forum Member Chicken George - Photo's on right

This is a great idea. George and his good lady have obviously been thinking what to do with the space down the side of the Garage and like many of our gardens, it's been used for 'that area where you file all the garden and kids bits and pieces when not in use and in many cases never used !!

Converting space for chicken coop at side of house
Before and After between side of House and Fence

The ideal part of this is the security. What it's achieved is three sides of a Run completely secure and with the roof covered as well also stops Predators getting in from above. Being a Concrete base and entrance, this makes cleaning a lot easier, just a broom and occasional hose down thank you very much!

Add the above to the frugality of it all, it's A1, job done.

Set-up Two; Forum Member Colin ('Ock')


Before, after and the chickens having a good time scraping around

Another invention of thought, a disused Cold Frame.
Quite a few gardens have one of these or something of the like. Some people change them into a Barbecue area, Ock's changed his into a fine Chicken House and Run.

Again, the walls of the Cold Frame stop any Fox digging underneath and the walls and roof offer further protection.

Being up alongside a fence, this also gives some protection from the elements and, for us, a rather pleasant view of our Chicken friends.

Note the House is separate from the Run and this makes things a lot easier when you come to shut them in for the night and for cleaning, fetching eggs etc..

These of course are just two examples, but do show that if you are thinking about keeping chickens in your back garden and unsure about space, there may be many places around and about that you can utilize.

See more of George and Colin's pictures plus many more back garden set ups by going to the
FORUM MEMBERS CHICKEN COOP PICTURES PAGE

 

              


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