[Dreich Pete]

One of my neighbours has a few hens that she wants/needs to get rid of because of a change in domestic circumstances and I've offered to take them off her hands, at least in the short term.

We have a fenced off area that was used as a dog run/kennel by the previous house owners but should be suitable for 3 hens - once I've got a bit of advice.

The run is laid to paving slabs so my plan was to order some sawdust from the sawmill. Any thoughts?

If there is any sign that the hens aren't suiting our arrangements then another neighbour who already has 5 hens will probably take them. They're only a year old and apparently laid right through the winter.

One concern I have is that one of our dogs tends to run out of the house barking when she's let out into the garden and her route is past the potential chicken run - is that going to be stressful for the hens or will they get used to it?

[goosepimple]

Hens will want to peck at grass Dreich and they need to scratch for worms, better to overlay the slabs with turf if you have some.  Unless they're used to dogs barking near them they will get stressed and they can die if very stressed. 


Could the neighbours who are getting rid of them give you something to put them in? Remember also hens can fly a bit unless their wing(s) are clipped and occasionally a neighbouring tom cat may have a go, foxes etc. 


There are many cases where people lose them within the first day or two because they haven't thought it out.


Sorry, don't mean to be mean! Just don't want you disappointed!

[devonlad]

like Goosepimple I wouldn't want to pour too much water on the idea and I am aware that it is possible to keep hens happily on fairly small areas provided they are given all the necessary as far as food, shelter, space to spread wings and a chance to scratch around in the earth. the paving slabs don't sound ideal with or without sawdust/ if its not possible to get rid of them I spose turf or a few barrowloads of soil would at least provide a better surface.
our animals all muck along together now but the dogs, cats, chickens, sheep pigs etc have all taken time to get used to each other. a dog haring by each morning is bound to scare them initially. I guess if its a once a morning ritual and can happen before they are let out then it might reduce the possibility of them being unduly bothered by it

[Dreich Pete]

I wasn't quite clear about the run: it's quite large - 7'x15' - and if we are going to keep them I'd open one up one end and fence off a run that would include a bit of lawn and border, and down the line I'd build a portable enclosure to move them around the plot every few days. It's just that that is how the area is currently arranged and I haven't got the chicken wire freed up from the fencing elsewhere. It'd be a matter of a few days.

The dogs are my biggest concern, especially as the Lab has recently proven himself untrustworthy when given access to birds, but the plan was not to have them roaming unconfined.

As a short term fix for the ground cover I can provide plenty of turf - I have the best part of a 4 acre meadow to cut it from.

[lilfeeb]

My chickens and dogs share the garden quite happily once they got used to each other and ignore each other. We have a lab cross and a German shepherd cross. The cat is another matter entirely.  he stalks them for fun, although the cockeral chases him away when he gets fed up however in fairness the cat stalks the dogs as well and they are about 5 times his size.

[Dreich Pete]

I think our Spaniel would be after a hen as soon as there was quick movement, and the Lab has proven himself untrustworthy around birds so an introduction isn't likely.

The stress of a barking pair of dogs who then rummage near the run isn't going to acceptable so before declining the birds I had a think about it and the new plan is to fence off an area of shrubs/trees that has bark ground cover and is the other end of the house so not one of the dog run-throughs.

I have enough chicken wire from elsewhere on the land (currently around an area of tree planting) so I'll get my neighbour around to give the proposed run her approval and then I'll fence it off. She is giving us the existing hen house so that's also sorted.

I checked with my other neighbour in case she wanted to increase her flock but she adamant that 5 is her limit.