Chicken coop recommendationsChicken coop recommendationsHi there.
Looking for recommendations for chicken coops - there seems to be so many available and we're struggling to decide on which ones seem the best. We're looking for a coop that will house 4 chickens. Thanks :-)
Re: Chicken coop recommendationsThat's a bit of an individual choice, depending on what you need. Some people prefer wood, I find the soundproofing better which is good as I have a cockerel. Others prefer plastic as easier to clean, especially if there's a redmite outbreak. You might prefer a raised house, mine has an opening top which makes daily poop picking easy, some have a sides that open fully for cleaning. Your risk from foxes, badgers etc so how tough the coop needs to be is something else to consider. Most of us here have ended up with a walk in run as it's so much easier to look after than a low one. There's a few things to think about before you decide.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
Re: Chicken coop recommendationsA few of us with plastic coops have ones from Solway recycling. They are more expensive than wood usually. The maxi Hen loft will house 4 large birds easily, you might want to consider extra laying space (an old hutch) for instance, as well as the previously mentioned walk in run. Mine free range around the garden in the day.
Re: Chicken coop recommendationsMost of the ready made combinations of arc or coop + run say suitable for a number of hens. Well the house might be, they huddle together when they perch, but the run is far less than most of us would like to give them. Even if it works for now you find the crowding causes problems when you need to introduce new hens into the flock. They can be really cruel to strangers if space is limited and the new-comers have no-where to escape.
We usually say 10 sq feet / hen in the run. Either a fixed run tall enough to stand upright or moveable flocknet https://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/chicken_ke ... n_fencing/ (but use the link to Eglu on this page to order). The netting is sold 4 foot high, though some hens discover they can jump out. Letting them run free in the garden is a nice idea but has snags - 1) the neighbours might not want them wandering 2) your lawn & plants will never be the same as they dig craters 3) the hens won't be safe from foxes & dogs Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire Re: Chicken coop recommendationsAlso, try to set up so that you have room for a couple of extra hens, and then resist the urge to buy more. 3 hens now might give you all the eggs you need and some to give away / sell. Then 18 months on as the hens are all the same age they will all slow down. Then is the time to introduce 2 more.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
Re: Chicken coop recommendationsI have recently bought a new coop from the Cocoon range. I find that coop with integrated run below works for me as I put them inside my walk in run. When they have to be locked up they have enough room, but when we are at home they are in the walk in run (home made). The coop I chose is 7ft long and I keep 2 girls in there. It did say it was suitable for more (sorry can't remember how many), but I like to give them as much space as I can. It has a sloping roof on it and Olive and Ivy love to jump up on the roof. It went together well with good security locks and delivery was really quick. It looks good and I (touch wood) am happy with it. If you Google "Cocoon" they have quite a wide range.
Re: Chicken coop recommendationsI run a holiday boarding for chickens I have found plastic houses the easiest as wooden ones are hard to clean and get dry for a quick turn around also wooden coops are more pron to red mite and they rot.Plastic houses cost more but last for ever and are cleaner I have some my husband made on his cnc machine which are plastic 2 green frog ones and omlet cube's, go up's and classic's they are all very good. The omlet's and Green frog coops I bought second hand much cheaper that way.
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