thinxs Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Going to make myself a chicken run. Question is do chickens have to have a high perch to roost on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasper3 Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 (edited) i have built a few chicken coops over the years ..as long as the coop is lockable and safe from fox's I have just bought a coop..as i couldnt make one for the same price ..if you add all the running about and labour time how many chicken are you keeping ? I will have 4 by saturday and the coop cost me £ 89 99 delivered off ebay, the exact same one in our local Garden centre £270.00 the perches are about 4 inches from the ground and it has a removable sliding tray (galvanised) the one chicken we have left is settling in with no probs also..keep an eye out for Rats.... they can stop the chickens from laying.... (air riffle highly reccomended) sorry !!! chicken coop or run ? Edited May 21, 2010 by jasper3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadkill Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 i have mine about a foot from the floor across the run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 They will most definitely appreciate a decent perch. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holly Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 some use a perch some dont its a good idea to include one lots of chicken info can be found here / http://www.practicalpoultry.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swift4me Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 I just started with the chickens myself 3 weeks ago. I built a fenced run next to an old stone building and used that as the coop. It had been the pig shed for 200 years, but I'm sure the chickens spent some time in there too. I have 2 roosters and 7 hens. When I started, I made a roost with two birch limbs. One about ten inches off the ground and the other about 20 inches. After I bought more hens, I added two that were higher, between 3 and four feet off the ground, and now they all use the high roosts. You'll find that your roost location also helps to keep **** out of their food and water. I bought a 12 liter waterer so I can leave them for a few days, and I built a feeder from a plastic garbage can and a base for a planter. They both work great. I found alot of good info on a site called www.backyardchickens.com and they have LOTS of people doing what you are talking about. Good luck. You'll enjoy them I bet, not to mention the eggs. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasper3 Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 they will use the highest perch..... mind you !!!! would you want to be under a load of chickens that **** on your head I'm pondering on getting a fenton blue..... it lays blue/green eggs anyone got one? also..what chickens do you have ...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 Mine have a choice of 3 perches the lowest one about 12" of the ground the top one about 3' off the ground. They are not on top of each other but side by side, but mine do have to share with some Guinea fowl and turkeys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 If you want lots of eggs-hybrids are the way forward.Traditional ginger hens,Blackrocks and Black Sussex's will lay you around 6 eggs per week each during summer,but the best in my opinion is the white Leghorn which is a prolific layer.I have one and she lays one pure white egg every single day.Leghorns are quite sparky birds and dont tame very easily,but despite this-im gonna get a couple more cos of their excellent egg laying ability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskymac Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 If you want lots of eggs-hybrids are the way forward.Traditional ginger hens,Blackrocks and Black Sussex's will lay you around 6 eggs per week each during summer,but the best in my opinion is the white Leghorn which is a prolific layer.I have one and she lays one pure white egg every single day.Leghorns are quite sparky birds and dont tame very easily,but despite this-im gonna get a couple more cos of their excellent egg laying ability. Have blackrocks and they are good layers, sussex also. I actually have some pekins (bantams) at minute and they are prooving to lay extremely well......farbetter than I thought they would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinxs Posted May 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2010 Not sure wether to go for hybred or somthing like sussex or sussex bantam. If I had the space and didn't live on an estate(housing) I would have liked to go for a couple of the old rare breeds, but worry that the neighbour may not appreciate a cockrels wake up call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SANDYBANK Posted May 22, 2010 Report Share Posted May 22, 2010 Ive always given my chickens a choice.. ie 1ft, 2ft or 3ft high perches most of them use the highest.. but not all.the chickens i have at the moment are pure Australorp and Indian Game x Australorp (for the meat). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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