hen houses

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Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 7:40 am Post subject: hen houses

We went away for one night, just one. Had a lovely time with a group of friends, came back feeling great but came back to one hen. She was the one who had decided not to roost in the clearly dangerous henhouse. She was right. Friends and neighbours had forgotten to fasten them in so the badger took all but her.

I like keeping hens but I like being able to go away and not think about them. I like keeping flighty bantams. I'm starting to consider designs of houses that are inaccessible to slightly clumsy creatures like badgers. A not very strong branch to access the house that is high up off the ground for example.

There are other predators but i want to lower the risk.

Has anyone got any design suggestions?

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 9:24 am Post subject:
How do you know it's a badger? If it's just badgers then a sturdy fence designed for wild boar should keep them out but foxes would just leap over. I would have thought the simplest design would be a pen made from weldmesh, or at least weldmesh around the sides and good chicken wire on the top. The hens can free range during the day but you'd round them up into the pen before going out.

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 11:39 am Post subject:

A pen isn't free range. I don't want a pen, they are relatively safe during the day. That's relative though as I lost four new ones during the day when I was in the house. I'd just pulled the run away to get them used to wandering the garden.

Pretty sure it's a badger because the dogs would chase off a fox but not an adult badger. Foxes are sensibly wary of the dogs but the dogs were shut in that night. I have seen a badger trying to break in, had to go right up to it before it moved off.

I'd rather not have the hundreds of badgers we have on the farm but that's not an option. There is around six setts. Mixed woodland, unimproved fields, ready supply of hens and honey, perfect habitat.

Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 11:39 am Post subject:
My (best) coops are on legs, so the bottom of the pophole is 3ft off the ground. Higher would be even safer, but then I'd have to fix them the ground to stop them blowing over in high winds, and I'd need a ladder to collect eggs.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46291
Location: yes

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 11:40 am Post subject:
barrel on top of a post is supposed to be good perhaps a bit fancy cut end off barrel,fit a couple of perches,nail to post,add ladder simples

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 11:42 am Post subject:
We're working on this kind of idea. Adapting one of the arks. It's an old Forsham, wish they were still going. They made such high quality hen houses.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 11:52 am Post subject:
I think there's a River Cottage design floating round with a ladder for them to get up in to it. I will have a look. Internet connection is running at Mochyn-speed currently though

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 12:34 pm Post subject:

Cathryn wrote:

They can't free range if they've been munched. I only meant pen them up when you go out, so most of the time they free range.

Foxes are very clever so even if you put something on stilts you may still get losses due to them.

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4635
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 1:41 pm Post subject:

Chez wrote:

I think there's a River Cottage design floating round with a ladder for them to get up in to it. I will have a look. Internet connection is running at Mochyn-speed currently though

Wobbly ladder for birds, sturdy human ladder only used for egg collecting.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 2:03 pm Post subject:
Yup, that's the one!

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 2:07 pm Post subject:
Jack would be delighted with a load of those on his lawn I reckon.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 2:20 pm Post subject:
Especially if he was asked to put them up. Can we watch?

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 3:27 pm Post subject:

Chez wrote:

Especially if he was asked to put them up. Can we watch?

I want the hens to be safe!

I believe he is currently coffee housing as he knows I have A Plan that will have to involve him and a saw.

T - yes I see what you mean and yes I feel bad at continuing to want to have hens despite their at times limited life expectancy. It went so smoothly for so many years.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46291
Location: yes

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 3:54 pm Post subject:
if the ladder pegs are all on one side and the pole can turn if used by something bigger than a chook ......

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Fri May 29, 15 3:54 pm Post subject:
A woman with a plan. That can be terrifying.

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