JohnGalway 1,043 Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 Problem being I am not home every day of the week. I could be gone a day or two each week. So how do I get around this and get to keep my hens, and keep them well and properly. I am hesitant to ask others to help out, so for the moment lets rule that out, when I can I like to do things myself. Planning to keep them on my farm, for eggs at first, but I'd like to get some broilers at some stage *licks lips*. Suggestions please folks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
craigyboy 1,274 Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 just make sure their run is secure from charlie,put one o those feeders in similar to the pheasant bins,which holds a good few days worth of feed,same wi the water,string a couple o cabbages up and roberts your dads brother 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
patterdalejoel 669 Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 you can get electronic pop hole devices that shuts and opens the pop hole according to when you set the timer on it. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VSB-Automatic-Chicken-Hen-House-Door-Opener-Pop-Hole-/120723196772?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry&hash=item1c1ba9cb64#ht_1388wt_1037 stops the fox getting in. and if you leave enough food and water you could leave them all week. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
craigyboy 1,274 Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 you can get electronic pop hole devices that shuts and opens the pop hole according to when you set the timer on it. http://www.ebay.co.u...#ht_1388wt_1037 stops the fox getting in. and if you leave enough food and water you could leave them all week. thats all well and good mate but who tells charlie to only turn up when the doors shut 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David K 172 Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 (edited) Hi John. As you know not checking on animals of any type at least once a day is eventually going to end up with some problems. Chickens I suppose, in a totally secure pen, plenty of water/food plus back up supplies should they run out or tip them over will probably be okay. It's all the things that could go wrong that come to mind such as a sick bird, fox attack, frozen drinking water etc. The layers I have roam around freely and I get to see them many times throughout the day but we have had a couple that have got ill and went downhill and died pretty quickly. We have some broilers as well in a pen and their whole day seems to be spent eating or sleeping so maybe you would have less problems with them. I know chickens are seen as pretty disposable animals but I think every animal we keep either for hunting or for food deserves the best care we can give them. Edited June 23, 2012 by David K 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
craigyboy 1,274 Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 Hi John. As you know not checking on animals of any type at least once a day is eventually going to end up with some problems. Chickens I suppose, in a totally secure pen, plenty of water/food plus back up supplies should they run out or tip them over will probably be okay. It's all the things that could go wrong that come to mind such as a sick bird, fox attack, frozen drinking water etc. The layers I have roam around freely and I get to see them many times throughout the day but we have had a couple that have got ill true mate,but he said hed only be away one or two days,if the feeder is big enough theyl be fine as they cant knock it over or soil the feed and as long as he has a few drinkers,better to have more than not enough and a secure run means no fox attack 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JohnGalway 1,043 Posted June 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 OK, I'm happy enough with this so far, I know not being there every day isn't the happiest situation, can't be avoided however. A thought struck me. A secure run for the birds, keep charles, mr. mink, etc. away from them. But, can one be made which is moveable I wonder, more to the point do I have enough level ground for it (Yes, ground is that bumpy/rocky/hilly). Keeping with that, for days I'm not there, would a floor made out of 1"x1" weldmesh harm the birds feet? I ask as a fox/badger digging under the run would be my main concern, Day's I'm around I'd be happy enough to let them have the run of the farm as I can gather them myself. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
forest of dean redneck 11,190 Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 you can get electronic pop hole devices that shuts and opens the pop hole according to when you set the timer on it. http://www.ebay.co.u...#ht_1388wt_1037 stops the fox getting in. and if you leave enough food and water you could leave them all week. thats all well and good mate but who tells charlie to only turn up when the doors shut what happens if one decideds to have a late supper an is shut out all night. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
craigyboy 1,274 Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 OK, I'm happy enough with this so far, I know not being there every day isn't the happiest situation, can't be avoided however. A thought struck me. A secure run for the birds, keep charles, mr. mink, etc. away from them. But, can one be made which is moveable I wonder, more to the point do I have enough level ground for it (Yes, ground is that bumpy/rocky/hilly). Keeping with that, for days I'm not there, would a floor made out of 1"x1" weldmesh harm the birds feet? I ask as a fox/badger digging under the run would be my main concern, Day's I'm around I'd be happy enough to let them have the run of the farm as I can gather them myself. ya dont want much do you john is heras fencing no good to ya,do the sides and top Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JohnGalway 1,043 Posted June 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 (edited) All I want is to have my cake and eat it, surely that's not too much I hadn't thought of the heras fencing, I'll need to see how available it is in my area. Still got the problem of the floor mind. Reason I'd like to have the run movable is I've seen my friends run and it's black muck! I don't want that. Edited June 23, 2012 by JohnGalway Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moll. 1,769 Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 I got 2 old push chair wheels attached to the base of mine at one end, and handles at the other, so i could lift and tilt to move them around freely. Some good solid weld mesh on the floor and perhaps angled steel stuff (dont know its name ) up the frame work of the run to stop anything chewing through the wood. If you put a perch in the run they can get up out the way of the mesh if they need, plus you can let them out for a free roam around the days you are with them. As Craigy said, you can get big enough feeders and drinkers to last a few days, i solve the problem of water freezing in the winter by placing the drinkers inside the coop itself with the hens, and it rarely freezes. Hens do become sick, but 9 times out of 10, if it is curable, not noticing it for a day or two wont matter much, you just start the treatment when you can. If they are ill that they are going to die, other than being there to cull it, a hen left to die in 'its home' is perfectly natural for it. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dogs-n-natives 1,181 Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 Know a guy who has his coops up ladders, mounted on telegraph poles, foxy never took his hens. other than being fox proof, you just need a feeder + drinker with enough capacity Quote Link to post Share on other sites
craigyboy 1,274 Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 (edited) All I want is to have my cake and eat it, surely that's not too much I hadn't thought of the heras fencing, I'll need to see how available it is in my area. Still got the problem of the floor mind. Reason I'd like to have the run movable is I've seen my friends run and it's black muck! I don't want that. you only get black muck if you allow it to turn to black muck,i get thornless shreddings from a gardener friend and i bark the floors once a week and about every 6wks i dig it all out an put it ont compost,then put some disinfectant powder down and start again,theres no excuse for a shitty pen mate forgot to mention,if your worried about the floor,just heras that aswell and bark over it Edited June 24, 2012 by craigyboy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dogs-n-natives 1,181 Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Hens do much better with access to grass. Have the pen divided into 3 large sections, centre section being the one they enter from the coop, You can bed this with straw or shredding as stated by craigyboy, this gives hens scratting etc, provide the feed/water in there too... provide access to 1 of the two side pens at a time, and rotate their use to keep them well grassed and avoid tredding the land. Gives you tons of compost, plus good grass all year for them = better eggs, healthier hens. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
craigyboy 1,274 Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Hens do much better with access to grass. Have the pen divided into 3 large sections, centre section being the one they enter from the coop, You can bed this with straw or shredding as stated by craigyboy, this gives hens scratting etc, provide the feed/water in there too... provide access to 1 of the two side pens at a time, and rotate their use to keep them well grassed and avoid tredding the land. Gives you tons of compost, plus good grass all year for them = better eggs, healthier hens. spot on mate,but some days if your unable to let them out for a few days to graze on grass,then i always have some on standby,i have about 20 seed trays,the ones about a foot and half and i put a thin layer of compost in and then sow different seeds in em,like salad leaves and grasses,i even do a few with the british finch mix and then just put them in,they dont half rattle em 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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