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Old 17-05-2008, 06:28 PM
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TPeers TPeers is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Coulsdon, Surrey
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I like the Kenton or the Annie in terms of access for cleaning - a raised house gives two advantages - a dry area for food and less bending to clean!

Technically the minimum space code is for 9" to 1' of roosting bar per hen and 1 sq yd of ground space during the day. I would say that while that is fine in terms of roosting space - they like to cosy up - it really is a little tight on the run space.

As an aside roosting bars should be higher than nest boxes or you might have the hens sleeping in the nest boxes - doesn't sound bad I know but they produce up to 3/4 of their muck overnight so it can lead to mucky hens and mucky eggs - neither are desirable.

Don't worry to much about a removable floor - nice if you can get it but if not then get an offcut of lino and line the floor with it - just lift it out straight into the compost or a barrow, scrape it off and job done!

My girls are generally in their run as we have several persistant foxes I am, in fact, just starting to build a bigger run which will be permenant) I am told that woodchip is better than bark though my girls don't seem to mind at the moment. Only thing I would add is that as you will need to clean it out consider getting something you can walk into! (I for one don't want to have to crawl.......)
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