Author Topic: one or two houses (Read 1961 times)

tobytoby · « **on:** June 04, 2011, 03:31:23 pm »

I am thinking of buying 24 POLs same breed, to assist in fertilising the paddock naturally. The will roam within an electrified fence and i am wondering whether i should have 2 houses of 12?
Will they end up roosting where they like and end up over crowding one house or will they home into one particular house?

jaykay · « **Reply #1 on:** June 04, 2011, 04:59:33 pm »

They'll roost where they like but if you have two houses, you've always got one to put them in, if for example, you're treating the other one for red mite or something. More flexible.

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #2 on:** June 04, 2011, 05:07:22 pm »

we have 2 houses, they tend to go to the one they were put into the night they arrived. it is handy to have more than one for the reason jaykay mentioned and we use our diddy one as a broody coop.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #3 on:** June 04, 2011, 05:17:06 pm »

How many you can fit into one house will depend on the length of the perch. If you are buying a house, then the number of hens which can be accommodated is sometimes exaggerated. In our hen houses (converted garden sheds) the perches are 8' long. A dozen hens plus a few bantams will squeeze themselves onto one of those, so unless you have several perches I would say two houses would be better. It also gives the hen at the bottom of the pecking order somewhere to sleep away from her tormentors

little blue · « **Reply #4 on:** June 04, 2011, 07:38:17 pm »

we had a long run, with a house at each end ... some nights they'd all try and pile in together, then others there'd be a fairly even split. Then aftera while there was a hardcore of about three who slept at one end every night, and some that would "float" between the two houses!

As has been said, a house that you can use as a broody coop, or an isolation pen, or a "holding" pen - eg when administering medicine/wormer & you need to know whos been done is always worth having...