Built new chicken run!!! Help needed Tho

Guill

Hi all, i recently built my new chicken run!
It looks great - pic to follow.
i am going about ordering the hens now.
I am thinking of getting ten birds in all.

2 RIR Hens
1 Welsommer Cock or RIR cock.
2 Black Minorca’s hens
2 commercial hens
2 light Sussex hens
1 buff Sussex hen

Does this look like a good mix to anyone?
The house has 8 1ft square nesting boxes inside and the run is 8ft square, how many hens would that be able to hold comfortably?

The Sweeper

Have you owned chickens before?

I'd start with six initially, as a good number, and see how you get on - then add four more after a couple of months when you're happy you have the routine and cleaning and feeding and water etc. etc. down pat, and you've had a chance to see if there are any issues with parasites and so on...

cloudy day

Guill wrote: »

Hi all, i recently built my new chicken run!
It looks great - pic to follow.
i am going about ordering the hens now.
I am thinking of getting ten birds in all.

2 RIR Hens
1 Welsommer Cock or RIR cock.
2 Black Minorca’s hens
2 commercial hens
2 light Sussex hens
1 buff Sussex hen

Does this look like a good mix to anyone?
The house has 8 1ft square nesting boxes inside and the run is 8ft square, how many hens would that be able to hold comfortably?

hi is the run eight feet square. that's not a lot of space for all those hens. don't know how much you know bout them but you could just start with 3 hens and you don't need a cockerel unless you want to breed.

they will scratch up the run and it will be like a mud bath in wet weather, shavings is good to put down in there to keep clean.

not sure if minorcan's are laying hens, Maran's are good layers.

bertie1

I have 2 minorca hens & 3 marans , both breeds lay about the same amount . The minorcas started laying at 7 months , the marans at 6 months. Both minorcas went broody within 2 weeks of each other , both hatched 8 chicks a mix of marans & minorcas

I have electric fence netting around them 50 sq meters it is fine in summer but in winter you need to move it every 4 days as they are out of grass again, thats for 7 in total ( 5 hens 2 cocks)

Interceptor

Congratulations!

Please confirm the size of the run - 8 sq feet is not enough space for one bird, much less ten. I have five birds in ten sq metres of a run but I have a fenced half acre which they free range in.

All of the birds will lay in one nest box - they'll have a favourite and will lay in the same order in the one box - its infuriating but theres no talking to them. Your row of eight boxes are unlikely to be filled. Ever...

If you enjoy birds, get a mix of them and introduce them carefully - the list above has some docile and some potentially very territorial birds and you will end up rehoming if they don't settle.

If you want eggs, get ISA browns and don't bother with the RIR's. Most 'fancy' breeds lay an egg every two days - a neighbour of mine has ten assorted fancy breed and gets a single egg every two days!!! Useless!

Don't forget a sheltered section in the run so that they can get out of the heat and rain (this is Ireland after all...)

Post pix when you get time.

'cptr

cloudy day

I had the Isa browns (batt hens i suppose is more common name) most people call them RIR but they not. And they are really clever hen's. They get really tame and they lay eggs for years. Why they get rid of them after 1 year I'll never know.

I had the L Sussex and Buff, they nice to look at and the maran's.

Which would ye say are the territorial one's.

Guill

The run area is 8 ft x 8ft and covered on top with roosting areas, i have a friend who bought a run built for four birds that was only 3ft x 5ft (including nesting boxes) and he paid E300!! i was sure it would be large enough for ten birds comfortably. My general plan is to breed the chickens for meat and just gather whatever eggs left over. The run i built has a door to let the hens out whenever i am around and let them run free in the field. does anyone have any good stocking suggestions. Alot of people say to just get the commercial hens. Would a fox take chickens during the day?

Interceptor

If a fox gets a taste for chicken it will take them out of your hands, my neighbour has lost three flocks (25 birds in total) since Christmas and the fox is coming in during the day and she can't kill it.

If you just want meat I'd suggest just buying broiler chicks from a supplier - there is a good place in Strokestown Co. Roscommon but I don't know what they are called. Eating fancy chickens is a bit like eating cats - I couldn't do it.

If your run is in a sheltered area it might be fine - I live in an exposed bog and the place gets turned to mud as soon as there is a drop of rain so I need plenty of space.

'cptr

Dusty87

Interceptor wrote: »

If a fox gets a taste for chicken it will take them out of your hands, my neighbour has lost three flocks (25 birds in total) since Christmas and the fox is coming in during the day and she can't kill it.

If you just want meat I'd suggest just buying broiler chicks from a supplier - there is a good place in Strokestown Co. Roscommon but I don't know what they are called. Eating fancy chickens is a bit like eating cats - I couldn't do it.

If your run is in a sheltered area it might be fine - I live in an exposed bog and the place gets turned to mud as soon as there is a drop of rain so I need plenty of space.

'cptr

Thats Thighes Poultry 'cptr. deliver around the country depending on days. check local paper and they might be in it. Hes good alright and very reasonable prices

cloudy day

Guill wrote: »

The run area is 8 ft x 8ft and covered on top with roosting areas, i have a friend who bought a run built for four birds that was only 3ft x 5ft (including nesting boxes) and he paid E300!! i was sure it would be large enough for ten birds comfortably. My general plan is to breed the chickens for meat and just gather whatever eggs left over. The run i built has a door to let the hens out whenever i am around and let them run free in the field. does anyone have any good stocking suggestions. Alot of people say to just get the commercial hens. Would a fox take chickens during the day?

Hi guill. TBH unless you have an incubator or bantam he's for broodiness it's not really worth the bother of hatching. No gaurentee's your hens will go broody, def not the common red's. and it takes a lot of feeding and growing on to get them fat. Smallholding monthly mag is good, lot's of tips.

There's a guy in Kerry that sells poultry supplies and good books by mail order.

As the lads said, you'd be better off getting the broilers for growing on for meat.

8x8 pen is very small, if they are going to be spending a lot of time in it.

Hopes this helps.

Interceptor

Dusty87 wrote: »

Thats Tighes Poultry 'cptr. deliver around the country depending on days. check local paper and they might be in it. Hes good alright and very reasonable prices

Thems the ones alright - I bought my ISA Browns from them and I know several people who've bought broilers from them. They don't do anything fancy but they pride themselves on supplying solid, reliable stock.

Call Paul Tighe on (087)2504432 for details of deliveries to your local area!!

'c

Guill

I went to a chicken market in Roscomman town yesterday and bought two light sussex, two Marans, two standards and a cock, if they dont go broody i might try incubation but we shall see how it goes.

kowloon

If you're having fox trouble someone on the shooting forum may be in your area to help.

As for chickens, incubating is time consuming, but ver rewarding. I suggest incubating your first time around and raising by hand.
Also consider Australorps, the friendliest breed going and they hold the record for laying. The bantams are even friendlier and the eggs are still good, just a little smaller.

SecretGarden

Have a look at www.poulacapplepoultry.com - there is some good information there about poultry and links to other sites

Guill

What does always bring a hen to a rooster and never the other way round mean exactly? someone told me this, can anyone elaborate?

UPDATE - My two marans and Sussex are doin great in the run.
I got two Point of lays yeaterday who seem very happy and the rooster is even happier, he has seen to both within 2 mins of them arriving and now shepherds them around to wherever he wants them to forage.

tom123456

That's so cool Guill

Bet ya find yourself just sitting there watching them. It will be brill when you have a hatch of chicks. I just love them.

Guill

Update:

The area where i am putting my run is approaching completion but its hard work, its a small woods at the front of the house, maybe 20 trees. i am currently making a clearing and then need to put down chicken wire - hard work considering all the roots. i am also cuttin down some branches to let light in all day round. When i complete it i want to get 2 leghorn hens, does anyone know where i could get some?

bulleyes

Guill wrote: »

Update:
When i complete it i want to get 2 leghorn hens, does anyone know where i could get some?

I know that www.midlandpoultry.com just outside Portlaoise breed Leghorns. I've had birds from there before and can recommend them.