We've been talking about it for ages and we decided this weekend to just go for it, and start building! If we only have 2 and our run is movable then it shouldn't mess up the grass too much and we are dying to get back to eating our own fresh eggs! We'd love our hens to free range but since there is so many cats around here, Cara the hunter included, we've made them a secure run as big as we could move and when we are at home to keep an eye on them they'll be allowed out to wander :)
We bought the wood for £25 ($40) at a saw mills. I had drawn up some rough sketches so we had average measurements, they worked out great for the run, we've still got the house to make.
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| What we started with... |
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| Getting stuck in, Cara also helping as usual... |
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| We had to put the screws in really deep because we didn't have long enough ones lol |
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| Hubby getting stuck in - I'm not too great with precise sawing so I left that up to him |
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| The perils of drinking tea outside... I fished it out and drank it anyway, is that gross? |
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| Putting the supports on the bottom |
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| Half done! |
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| Al putting in the last screw :) |
And thats the frame for the run done, we have some chicken wire already, just need to add that. Those bits sticking out the sides are the handles btw so I can take one side and Al the other and we can easily lift it to another area. The house is going to go on top, in the middle but up against one side, to about half way across, if that makes sense? There will be pictures, hopefully by the end of next weekend there will also be hens :) Anyway for one day I was pretty happy to just get the frame done.
What are you going to name them????
ReplyDeleteI think they should be bantams (small, good layers) and as a nod to their heritage, they should have Indonesian names - the first two beginning with A, then beginning with B... etc - neat and tidy, hey?
DeleteAlex, we don't know yet, we like to wait to meet them then pick names so we'll see...
DeleteAuntie, we wanted to get bantams but were worried about them going broody and not laying so I don't know I love the Indonesian name idea though if we do get them :)
Nice one! I would love hens! You can get ex-battery hens that have been rescued from poor conditions. Still good layers! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's an awesome run! :)
Thanks Bryallen :) I'm very proud of it so far, we are thinking of ex-battery hens but not sure since we only want a few and its so hard to introduce new ones if one dies... We're still mulling it over.
DeleteOh I am soooooooo happy for you both. You two were made to have chickens. Can't wait for the next instalment.
ReplyDeleteSft x
Thanks sft, we LOVE hens and have had hens twice before. We really miss them!
DeleteWow Astra, i so envy you having your own chooks. My mother used to keep chickens when we were growing up and she still does. The breed she kept wasn't for laying eggs and she bought them as day old chicks and she would sell them when they were ready. I used to hate feeding and cleaning after them and sometimes i used to have to slaughter them. Now i wish i could keep chickens minus the slaughtering...
ReplyDeleteI can see why, that must be a hard thing to do. Keeping layers is so rewarding, you get so attached to them and get to know their funny personalities plus the wonderful eggs every day :) Do you have any space where you could keep some?
DeleteYAY!!! How many will you get? What kinds??? Oh...I can't wait to see them :-)
ReplyDeleteBTW-I fish flies out of my tea and drink it up, too ;-)
Haha I'm so glad I'm not the only one! We were thinking 2 because of the space restrictions but after reading Jo's comment I think we'll seriously consider 3. We were going to get brown and whites, your regular layers but we're going to look at bantams again too... We are so excited!!
DeleteYou will love having hens. They will always make you smile with their antics. I've had hens for 12 years now and just love them. Just one thing - I'd ask you to seriously consider getting 3 hens and not 2. Hens are funny creatures and sometimes they just don't live long (sometimes they live for years and years past what you expect too so I'm not being gloomy, just trying to be pratical). It is very hard to introduce new hens to old ones. Sometimes it is just plain impossible, especially in a situation where you have a run and they are not totally free range. If one hen doesn't make it into old age, then you are in trouble. If you have 3 hens, then if you lose one, you've still got 2 left. Hens are very social creatures and like living in groups and can be very unhappy living alone. If you have 3, then what is the worst that can happen? - you have eggs to barter with. And you'll still have enough eggs for a meal a week when they are elderly and not laying very often.
ReplyDeletePlease, please think about this. It is the voice of experience talking here : )
But I'm pleased you are getting some hens. You will not regret it. Most of them are happy to be picked up and they are so soft and warm. Just keep them away from your veg because they like veg too : )
Thanks for your comment Jo, we have had hens a few times and LOVE having them. We've never had such space restrictions before though hence the compact run... We will definitely consider getting 3 now but Im just concerned about the space in the run, it was built for 2 hens and I already have guilt for not letting the free range or have a massive run so I'd hate them to be cramped... I'm going to look at bantams again too because 3 of them wouldn't be too bad in that run... Im not sure, thanks for the advise though and we'll definitely take it seriously, I respect your opinion on this a lot xx
DeleteHi. Even if the run is a wee tad on the small side for 3 hens (and yours does not look too bad), it should not be too much of a problem so long as you move it regularly on to fresh ground. In the autumn, I collect as many bags of fallen leaves as I can and put them in the run in the winter. The hens just adore turning over and over and over (and over...) the leaves in case there is a tasty titbit in there. It not only keeps them occupied in the confined space in a run but it keeps them off the bare ground because it is not so easy to keep the run moving if there is snow or constant rain or whatever. The leaves end up as tiny crumbs which rot down really quickly in the compost heap which helps you grow more veg. And the leaves are a feee and readily available resource too. Win-win situation : )
DeleteYou can always let the hens out for a supervised run around the garden now and again too.
Ok its decided... We're going for 3! After seeing we could move the run 12 times before it went back to the same ground we knew it'd be ok :) I'm super excited :)
DeleteI know you said you had hens before but you know that you won't have any grass left by the time the hens have finished with it? Personally, I just decided to keep a patch of grass for the rabbits and put up with the bare earth but use the leaves to keep their feet off the soil. When are you getting the hens?
DeleteAs soon as the run and house is built, sunday perhaps :) We've done this before and the grass will be ok because we will be rotating it when ever it needs, even each day is no problem with the easy lift design. I like the idea of them getting fresh ground each day and we cant just give them an area anyway since its not our lawn and it has to be kept presentable... When we get our own place they'll be totally free range :)
DeleteI used to keep chucks and ducks too, I found the best way to introduce 'new stock, is to put the newcomer/s onto the perch inside the hen house when all the others have gone to bed as it were, so they wake up together in the morning, and chickens being what they are (lovely but a bit dim) don't realise there's anything different.
ReplyDeletere the run, I see you are renting as I am, so it depends on how much of the lawn you want to give over to chucks, (I've dug 7 small raised beds without the landlord knowing shhh - don't tell him)
point I'm making is, if you dig over the space where the run is going, then put the chucks in, let them stay there for a while and they will naturally 'fertilse' the ground with their droppings, and eat any nasty bugs from the soil as well, then when they've torn the ground to shreds (which they will) move the run onto another dug over section, dig over the first one and it will be great for growing your veggies in - it's called the 'chicken tractor' method. Just something else for you to consider.
Oh and make sure the food dish/bowl is suspended off the ground, and don't leave bits of food i.e. veggie leaves, bread, anything really overnight, or you'll soon be visited by Mr Rat and his family ! been there - done that !
I kept putting the new hens on the perch at night , kept them in the daytime for a month in a run separated from the main ones just by a piece of wire netting - as close as possible but still separated. I've totally failed to get them to live together as many times as I have succeeded. I think it partly depends on the bossiness of the resident hens as to whether they will accept the newcomer(s) : (
DeleteWean - thats what we did too and it worked a treat for us. I love the chicken tractor idea, will definitely keep that one to use for the future, for now we'll just be moving it to keep the grass presentable... We have to have the food hanging else it would be a pain each time we move the run. We had a rat visitor in our last run - not fun...
DeleteI am wanting some hens too, but the boyfriend keeps putting me off. PLEASE keep us updated and let me know how it goes so I can show this to him and say "See we can do it" LOL Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteSandra I promise to give you a full update and show your man it can be done LOL good luck persuading him, fresh eggs are the best plus its so wonderful to have hens - they are so cool!
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