[YoungRasher]

Hi All.
A customer of mine has offered me a hen shed and 9 hens. They are all laying at the minute and I've been around over the past 12 months and seen them every time i've been.
My question is how much room do 9 birds need outside.
I can't have them at the farm because i'm not up there every day due to work so I will have to keep them at home.
I don't want them caged up but do need to stop them wandering into next doors property.
any other advise would be great.

[HesterF]

My hens have at least 15m2 each (the most crowded are 9 hens and 1 cockerel in a 20mx8m pen) but I think that's relatively generous, even if I'd rather they were genuinely free ranging. If you have them too crowded in a small space, you'll lose the grass and have worm problems too so you need to think about the surface and how you stop it becoming a mud bath.

H

[YoungRasher]

Thanks.
The first thing i did was google hen runs for 9 birds and i was shocked at the size.

[Stereo]

I would give 9 hens a 50m net and aim to move it a couple times a year.

[doganjo]

Whatever you can give them is going to be better than the hens that lay supermarket eggs, and a lot better cared for no doubt!  In addition to space they need toys.  Mine have branches, perches, and a feeder turned into a drinker so they have to push the tines around to drink from it. 

[chrismahon]

Aim for 4 metres squared each in a fixed run YoungRasher. You can reduce that depending on the breed, but laying hybrids need all of that. They will trash the ground quickly though and it will take a long time to recover. Or range them over a much larger area giving them 10 -20 square metres each, depending on ground quality. Problem will always be predators though and large enclosures are expensive.

[YoungRasher]

I've just picked them up.
I had to dismantle the run in order to get it home because it was fastened to her fence panels. I'll use what I saved and add to it so its as big as possible.  They are probably going to be here until april when they will move upto our land where they will be able to have much more space.
 The spot I have in mind for them has a small area of grass and a few stone flags. Is there anything wrong with that and will I need to put anything else in with them. ie branches etc.

[Stereo]

They will destroy the grass pretty quickly (like days) if it's a small area so you may have to re-seed that once they are moved on. As to their happiness, that's up to you to judge. Some people are happy to keep 3 hens in a eglu all their lives, some are happy to keep them on cages in a shed, some give them lots of room and so on. It depends what you have to offer them really, only you can judge what is acceptable. If you have plans to move them to a bigger place then keeping them penned up over winter is no real hardship for them. As you say, give them lots to do, branches, perches, litter to scratch in. A dust bath (we use a cardboard box with wood ash in it as it kills lice too). Plus they love stuff like hanging up some spare greens like cabbage etc. Make it harder for them to get so it stimulates them. Good luck with them.

[doganjo]

I've just picked them up.
I had to dismantle the run in order to get it home because it was fastened to her fence panels. I'll use what I saved and add to it so its as big as possible.  They are probably going to be here until april when they will move upto our land where they will be able to have much more space.
 The spot I have in mind for them has a small area of grass and a few stone flags. Is there anything wrong with that and will I need to put anything else in with them. ie branches etc.

That sounds fine to me and as I said in my last post give them some 'toys' - branches, perches, odd shaped water bowls and feeders, hang things from the top of teh run etc.

[YoungRasher]

Thanks for all the advice. They seem to of settled in very well. we haven't had a day without eggs yet.

They've got branches and I've hung up a cabbage which they seem to love and they have there mixed corn. water and grit. I've been told to give them all our spare veg but wanted to check if there is anything I shouldn't be giving them or anything else I can give them as a treat.

also when i picked them up there was a tub with milk and bread in the coop. is this a good thing to give them?

[kelly58]

Hi, your best giving them layers pellets and just give the corn as a late afternoon treat. Everything they need is in the pellets. They will love your left over veggies, but cook any potatoes. They love yogurt, l give them organic low fat greek yogurt as a treat its good for there guts and so funny watching them eat it
They are all little characters am sure you will enjoy keeping them. lve kept hens for 13 years l couldnt be without them. One of mine a black rock l rescued is 15 looks great good plumage no dirty back end, which is usually a sign somethings wrong. Enjoy ! 

[YoungRasher]

Thanks again for your help.

Whats the thought on the bread? are they ok having it. do they like it? or is it best not to bother?

[Stereo]

Don't give them bread or at least very, very little. It will mess up their crops and you could have serious problems.

[HesterF]

Only brown/wholegrain bread too - I give it occasionally if I've a stale slice left at the end of a loaf. Mind you, my geese absolutely love it so there's always a scrap.

H

[YoungRasher]

I'll pass on the bread then. thanks.