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Now I'm really confused. Is 4 square feet per bird basically 2 ft by 2ft or is it 4 feet squared (i.e. 16 ft) per bird? Our new run is 11ft x 5 ft now that it's finished, so I can either fit 3 and a bit hens in it or 13! Bit of a difference, and our 4 hens are arriving hopefully this weekend, so I hope it's big enough. I was working on a metre squared and thinking I could fit that many in. They will be allowed out into the garden when we're at home, and they've got 8 ft of perch space and a 5ft x 3 ft coop, so hope that's plenty. Can anyone help?

I think im right here but its done like this 2 feet square is about 13 inch square and not like 1feet by 1feet by 1feet by 1foot as that would be 4 square feet

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http://davefromthechipie.blogspot.com

Now I'm even more confused, Dave! So how many could fit in an 11 x 5 ft run? Sorry to make you do maths on a Friday!

Maths isnt me strong point but id say it adds upto 11 hens I think

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http://davefromthechipie.blogspot.com

Thanks for that! I'll feel better when I see the 4 hens in it. Just possibly thinking ahead for that future, when one or two of them have stopped laying or we just get a couple of younger birds.

Ooh heck, I didn't mean to confuse you - sorry

In an 11 x 5 run you could in theory fit 13.75 birds (don't forget the .75)

The 4 sq ft is a minimum for each bird though.

Think I'll keep quiet now in case I do any more damage

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Save the earth - it's the only planet with chocolate

Thanks Chris. For some reason I kept doubting the 13.75 birds and thinking 3.5ish (don't forget the 'ish'). Was imagining enormous hens, size of dinosaurs... Having said that, won't ever have 13 birds, but nice to know that I can have another 2 or 3 if necessary!

We are finally bashing together a form of chicken ark/run. The timber available allows a structure 42 inches wide by 6 foot long as the base measurement. We are unsure how much will have to be allocated for nesting/perching and nowhere seems to make it clear. The chickens will be in the ark most of the time but moved every day around the lawn. Weekends and days where we are at home they will be allowed out to roam the garden for a few hours.

Can anyone help with how tall the triangle needs to be and how much of the overall 'length' should be for perch and nesting? My brain has seized up now.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

If you are making a classic 'toblerone shaped' ark, 42 inches wide, it will be about 3ft high, plenty enough headspace for chooks. Ideally the 'indoor' bit will be no more than a third of the total. If it gets moved a fair bit, and they get extra freedom when practical, that will do for 3-4 big hens, or about 6 bantams (even more if they are really small banties). They might be a bit happier in a 'box-shaped' ark (and probably easier on the DIY skills) and if you make it 42" high (if that is the size of timber you have handy), the house can have open space underneath, in which case it can be a bit more than a third of the total 'ground area', and the top half of that space. That would be comfy for 4 big hens. (my first henhouse was not very different from that description, and we had 6 bred-for-battery hens in it, let out when we could).

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Flowers come in too many colours to see the world in black-and-white.

Good lord, didn't realise you had to be a maths genius to have chooks and someones gone and nicked my calculator

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Hayley B

OH is competing in the Macmillan 4x4 challenge (in aid of Macmillan Nurses) partnering Julia Bradbury (Watchdog presenter) in March 2009 http://www.justgiving.com/mac4x4juliabradbury

Thanks for that HilaryB. Timber availability is quite restriced (cash strapped to say the least at the mo) so we will see what we can manage. We were fortunate to be given a load of weldmesh so the run will be quite strong.

One more question, will a secured broom handle do for a perch or are they better with a square batten of some type?

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Chickens should have square perches with the corners rounded off.

Thought so, dunno where I will find something to suit. Hoped the broom handle would do the job

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

I don't think a broom handle would be thick enough for full size hens to grip happily. Banties would perhaps cope better. I think they do prefer 'square with rounded corners' unless it is a branch with the bark on. Smooth round perches need a strong grip....

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Flowers come in too many colours to see the world in black-and-white.

I have some leylandii trunks which are about 2 inches diameter with lots of stubby branch ends - would they work maybe? They have been drying for about 6 years so don't have any bark left though

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Think they need the bark to be able to grip it easily in their sleep! Hope you get sorted and enjoy your hens when they arrive!

Better without bark - no hiding place for the red mites!

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It takes more oil than vinegar to make a good salad dressing.

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated September 29th - Bean drying.

Bark may improve grip, but harbour pests (swings and roundabouts. The pests may be a bigger problem in a small space). If the wood is rough surfaced where the bark has fallen off naturally, it might do, but if smooth, perhaps take a Surform to the upper side, to give a flatter shape, and make it slightly rough.

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Flowers come in too many colours to see the world in black-and-white.

Well, the rain set in when we finished putting the frame together so we headed off to see what type of pullets the chap up the road had for sale (spotted the sign a week or two ago). I think they are Black Rock or something but the fully grown one was huge!! We will wait to see if the local BHWT person gets back up and running soon, or if the ark is ready by next weekend, we might just buy some point of lay hens or banties from someone advertising in the local paper and do the battery hen thing next year sometime.

Madmax finally got the bug by looking at the pictures of the spoilt hens on the BHWT site - he was straight out the door searching for the available timber after that!

Here's the link for anyone wondering what got him shifted...

http://www.bhwt.org.uk/spoilthens.php

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

If the perches are round the birds could finish up upside down! (insert mental picture here!)Lol

Now if you were keeping bats............................

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

hmmmmm i love bats *wonders how they will get on with ducks and chickens *

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sometimes i do talk complete and utter rubbish ...... just ignore me if i do ........i'll go away eventually

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Was hoping for ex-bats so maybe they would be used to upside down

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk