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Hello,

with my chicken keeping urge getting ever stronger I've started looking for the best coop+ run for my very small garden (I have a space where the run will need to be sited permenantly which is approx 6ft by 4ft). I'm currently pondering the following but would appreciate any opinions or advice about other options.. I would want to keep around 3-4 small hens/ bantams or maybe some ex-batts for eggs and as pets and they would probably need to stay in the run till I get home from work (at least initially, it may be safe enough to leave them out when i'm away but I'd have to see). Anyway, here are some of the options I'm considering.. but any other suggestions very very welcome..

TREETOP Small Chicken Coop & Run

Norfolk Rare Breeds Centre | Rare and traditional breeds of Cattle, Pigs and Poultry
(this one comes as a kit with 3 birds + feeders etc for £350)

Animal Housing Lincolnshire

Annies Chicken Ark | Poultry Housing & Supplies

The Up and down - Westaway Poultry, UK

My primary concern is obviously making sure that my chickens are as happy as possible so I favour the ones with the most run available, but being easy to keep clean and access it easily to do food/ open the pop hole are a definate bonus.. also a dropping tray sounds like a great idea, but having looked at so many specs I forget what has what..

And finally.. any advice about keeping chooks in the same place? i'm thinking a thick layer of bark chippings replaced monthly as I don't actually have any lawn at all? and most importantly, will they be happy in runs/ houses this size if they get to range around the garden for an hour or so most days? (for a little while anyway, tho it might only be weekends in winter as I'm rarely home before dark, is this ok?) My biggest worry is that I won't be able to give them the space they need.. The garden itself isn't that big (3.3M by 5), but provides bushes to hide under and innumerable slugs and a pond (which i will get a guard for as I know chickens don't swim) and lots of different vegetation generally so I'm hoping it will be stimulating enough to explore..

Sorry this is so long, excited and nervous with far to many questions.. thanks for reading this far and any advice

Becca

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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The weeks and the years are fine. It's the days I can't cope with!

HI Becca, we're looking at a similar set up for our back yard, so please keep us informed as to what you go with and how you get on, I'm sure there are many of us here who have a similar interest!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated - 4th July 2008 - Balance sheet + new piccies!

Got a super hen house from Flytesofancy - useful website with the owner's guide on keeping chickens - found it as useful as the books. I bought a run for my chickens and my advice is to go as big as you can, even if it is a bit more expensive.

Thanks all and I'll let you know what I end up with Mrs Dobby Am worried about run space still.. my ideal would be one that fits the space more or less exactly i.e. 6ftx4ft but I would need everything to be accessible from the front or sides as if i had that i wouldn;t be able to get around the back really but I have yet to find one that fits all my criteria and think it would take me a very very long time if i try and make one with my negligable woodwork skills..

done a bit more searching (when I should have been working ) what does everyone thing of these 2?
Poultry Arks by Forsham Cottage Arks
Haven Henhouse with 6ft Run | Poultry Housing & Supplies

I think they'll both give ~6ftx4ft run area which i can just about fit (I think, might end up waking into the haven's handles alot tho.. )