What do you think?

**shirlthegirl43** · 10-05-2009, 08:21 PM

Hi and welcome to the vine.

That is one posh looking coop, sorry having trouble putting the measurements into perspective as I am usually asleep by this time of day

The hens will trash any grass within a short space of time so where you site it doesn't matter from that point. They will appreciate a place where they can shelter from wind and rain but ours seem to stand in the rain whatever!

Foxproofing is essential - especially if you know you have the devils in the locality.

Good luck with your hens.

**lettucegrow!** · 10-05-2009, 08:38 PM

Hi and welcome. I have a coop very similar to this and my advice is don't buy it. The ground space is so small it really is only suitable for bantams or rabbits.If costing is an issue I'd hang on and save and go for designated coop style without the built in run and build an enclosed wire space/aviary type thing. I wish I'd done that and am now hoping to change my set up as I cant bear them being in this tiny space while I'm at work.The coop is fine but not to be in all day, they love to roam and scratch about.

**Glutton4...** · 10-05-2009, 09:01 PM

For what you'll pay for that, you could buy a 6' x 4' shed, which will give you room for many more Chooks! Mine currently holds twenty! I can virtually guarantee you that three or four won't be enough once you get the bug!

I got my eight white 'Laydees' from LHR, and they are absolutely lovely!

Good luck with whatever you decide.

**lizzylemon** · 10-05-2009, 09:11 PM

Hi 4L, welcome to the Vine. It's a big question you're asking as everyone has personal favourite ways to do things but here are my suggestions.

I'm gonna say the sort of opposite to LettuceG (sorry!) as I also have a very similar coop (minus boxes for me) and I've gotten on fine with it. But I don't keep them in it all the time, it's for night time only (I like the fact I have a mini cage inside their normal run which also gets locked up at night time too) have a look at my albums and you'll see what I mean.

I think the minimum requirement for hens are 1 metre squared to make them happy in a run and a coop is 1 foot squared I think (someone will confirm or correct I'm sure)

The run area under the trees is OK for summer but more light during the winter will be needed by the chooks to prolong their laying season (it's affected by light and temperature) so you might to do half and half if you can.

Please, please please make sure you get locks on the boxes as well as the doors - so many people have found out in the most painful way that foxes / preditors will find any way in and have lost all of their hens.

There are loads of other things but I'm sure this will be enough for you to chew over to start with.

**Hans Mum** · 11-05-2009, 07:40 AM

like lizzy ive got one similar to the one youre looking at, and whilst it was OK for my 2 girls to start with i got the bug and ended up converting a 6 x 4 wendy house the DD had finished with as ive now got 8 girls (you always get more its an addiction...) its still used by 2 girls and they tend to lay their eggs in it and its useful if you need to seperate for any reason but as Glutton says go for a shed for the same �

**Flummery** · 11-05-2009, 09:06 AM

I agree it's not suitable for all day. Also you would need to do somthing like lay slabs around the edge or bury wire netting vertically from the run sides so prevent digging. Our solution was to buy just a house and to raise it up on a platform. Then we built a run around that - like a big aviary - with flagstones and gravel on a landscape fabric surface. This means that we can hope that nothing can dig in - and we can hose it down when changing the wood chippings on the floor. By the 1m squared outside area I have room for 7.5 chickens! I'm sticking at four who have enough room if they need to stay in all day. They do get out onto some grass but only when we are both there. I'm paranoid about foxes as we have them here in the day!

**Bephlam** · 11-05-2009, 11:22 AM

Welcome to the Vine!

You're making the right decision about getting chickens...you've no idea the joy some little noisy girls can add to your life...!

I have a huge problem with those coups...they look massive in the pics, but in fact they are tiny. One of them fully built can be placed in my girls run...and they still have room to walk all around it. For the money, to be honest, I'd build my own. It's cost effective...plus, you can make to order...because believe me...you'll want more than your initial lot!!

It's highly addictive!

**RichmondHens** · 11-05-2009, 03:53 PM

I'm not in favour of coops at all except for broodies and chicks. A larger run area enclosed by electric fencing with a hen house standing within it is my preferred option if you cannot/don't want to let them roam free (and I know not everyone has the space to allow this). The hen house does not need to be very big, just large enough to provide roosting space for the number of hens you want to keep. They won't go in it in the day, only to lay eggs. One on legs with a ramp up to the pop hole is best, then it provides an area to shelter underneath from rain. The electric fence option is not the cheapest, but it has the flexibility of being moveable so the hens have fresh ground to scratch over.

**HayleyB** · 11-05-2009, 08:53 PM

Welcome to the madvine, always room in our henhouse community for a new one ;D

**Glutton4...** · 12-05-2009, 09:03 AM

Originally posted by RichmondHens View Post

I'm not in favour of coops at all except for broodies and chicks. A larger run area enclosed by electric fencing with a hen house standing within it is my preferred option if you cannot/don't want to let them roam free (and I know not everyone has the space to allow this). The hen house does not need to be very big, just large enough to provide roosting space for the number of hens you want to keep. They won't go in it in the day, only to lay eggs. One on legs with a ramp up to the pop hole is best, then it provides an area to shelter underneath from rain. The electric fence option is not the cheapest, but it has the flexibility of being moveable so the hens have fresh ground to scratch over.

I'd second all that! Apart from the bit about broodies and chicks, about which I know nothing!

**bluemoon** · 12-05-2009, 12:28 PM

Our local pet shop actually stocks this coop and it is miniscule! - though I admit it looks lovely - I wouldn't want to keep four full sized hens in it, even just for nighttime. Lots of people on the vine have made their own coops, they can be made exactly how you want for your own situation and I'd certainly consider trying that before spending money on something which might be totally unsuitable. At the very least I'd suggest you try and see a coop 'in the flesh' before you buy it, I might have been tempted by this one if I'd seen it on e-bay, but having seen - and more importantly, thumped - the real thing I have to say I wasn't impressed, the build quality seemed a little suspect.

**lettucegrow!** · 12-05-2009, 05:42 PM

That's exactly what we did ,bluemoon, saw it on e-bay and it seemed a bargain and as we were totally new to keeping hens thought a designated all in one would be the best bet. (Also OH offered to get me it for Mothersday so spur of the moment before he could change his mind we'd bought it!)Now, we're 4 weeks in and looking at getting a shed-converting it and building on an enclosed run 6ft high. These coops are very flimsy and already the wood/ply is separating at the edges.I doubt it would last a winter.

**lizzylemon** · 12-05-2009, 06:04 PM

Originally posted by lettucegrow! View Post

That's exactly what we did ,bluemoon, saw it on e-bay and it seemed a bargain and as we were totally new to keeping hens thought a designated all in one would be the best bet. (Also OH offered to get me it for Mothersday so spur of the moment before he could change his mind we'd bought it!)Now, we're 4 weeks in and looking at getting a shed-converting it and building on an enclosed run 6ft high. These coops are very flimsy and already the wood/ply is separating at the edges.I doubt it would last a winter.

Blimey just goes to show what different experiences 1 product can give different people doesn't it??!!

I have to say I was a bit down when I first put ours together but it's weathered this winter fantasically, is very sturdy and the girls love their cosy warm home. They only use it to sleep and lay eggs in so I guess a House is a better description than a coop.

As you can see, they have a good area to scratch around in all day and since this was taken they also have tires, planks and CDs on string to play with too (also not a blade of grass but you can't have everything).

So don't think you've just wasted a whole load of money, you'll make it work for you I'm sure.

(Also think I'm one of the very few people who hasn't upped her chicken quota

)

Attached Files

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**Hilary B** · 13-05-2009, 07:22 AM

These 'small house with attached run' things are OK used a way that really works. If it is merely where they get shut in at night (and foxproof) they are OK for a few hens. More 'outdoors' is needed for as much of daytime as possible, but because there is SOME outside space, they are better (when you need to shut in at night, and may not be up early enough to let them out in the morning) than a 'just a house' with the same floor area.

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