Anna Ranieri
Crowing
@ChooksNQuilts Our new coop is awful, it is no good for the chickens at all so we are using it for the ducks for now.
It is supposed to fit 8 large chickens but in reality might manage 4 small Bantams as long as they don't have long tails.
The so called roost bars are just four strips of wood 1 1/2 by 1/2 inch and only 3 inch space from coop wall and only 5 inch space between each bar. We had planned to put in two 2x4 but discovered there is only enough room for one if we want to give the correct amount of space from wall to bar and the length would only fit two hens comfortably.
We have over here an organisation which is the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). The coop write up claims that the coop and the roost bars are in line with the RSPCA recommendations and guide lines but they are not - the RSPCA recommend roost bars no smaller than 2 inches but advise 4 inches or more especially for LF. And they advise 12 inches from wall to bar and 8/10 inches between each bar.
The nest box is way too small and even with divider taken out, is less than half the size of their nest area in the hutch.
There are multiple gaps where the wood doesn't line up correctly so risks draughts and if the chickens were to fight there is no escaping and no room for hide holes, where as the hutch although slimmer at least has a divider which enables the chickens to separate - two in the main area, two in the nest area. And there is room enough that we have been able to put in an upturned flower pot with holes big enough for Roo to fit (and she can run through one side out of the other) but too small for the others.
The coop has loads of good reviews, people saying how great it is and their chickens "love it" but I am now at thinking either these people are stupid, don't know or don't care that their chickens are cramped or the reviews are fake.
I realise the hutch isn't ideal but it gives them more room than the coop does, but not so with the height, but enough while Roo is still small.
Trouble is there is very little available here in the way of coops, which is why a lot of people use rabbit hutches or buy online, so we are now back to looking for a coop for our girls but won't be able to buy another until beginning of November.
It is supposed to fit 8 large chickens but in reality might manage 4 small Bantams as long as they don't have long tails.
The so called roost bars are just four strips of wood 1 1/2 by 1/2 inch and only 3 inch space from coop wall and only 5 inch space between each bar. We had planned to put in two 2x4 but discovered there is only enough room for one if we want to give the correct amount of space from wall to bar and the length would only fit two hens comfortably.
We have over here an organisation which is the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). The coop write up claims that the coop and the roost bars are in line with the RSPCA recommendations and guide lines but they are not - the RSPCA recommend roost bars no smaller than 2 inches but advise 4 inches or more especially for LF. And they advise 12 inches from wall to bar and 8/10 inches between each bar.
The nest box is way too small and even with divider taken out, is less than half the size of their nest area in the hutch.
There are multiple gaps where the wood doesn't line up correctly so risks draughts and if the chickens were to fight there is no escaping and no room for hide holes, where as the hutch although slimmer at least has a divider which enables the chickens to separate - two in the main area, two in the nest area. And there is room enough that we have been able to put in an upturned flower pot with holes big enough for Roo to fit (and she can run through one side out of the other) but too small for the others.
The coop has loads of good reviews, people saying how great it is and their chickens "love it" but I am now at thinking either these people are stupid, don't know or don't care that their chickens are cramped or the reviews are fake.
I realise the hutch isn't ideal but it gives them more room than the coop does, but not so with the height, but enough while Roo is still small.
Trouble is there is very little available here in the way of coops, which is why a lot of people use rabbit hutches or buy online, so we are now back to looking for a coop for our girls but won't be able to buy another until beginning of November.
.
