Can the coop be away/separate to the run?

[lalalandchickens]

Hi all......I live in the UK and am hoping to get some chickens soon I am thinking maybe 3. My garden is big enough although I don't want them to free range (i don't mind occasionally if am there enjoying the garden with them so I can keep my eye on them) I plan on building a run 6m x 2m the run is on concrete so i will cover the floor with wood chippings or sand to scratch around in any advice on this is greatly welcome, there will be a shaded section within the lots of things for stimulation like dust baths, perchs, swings ect. I have a small brick outhouse building attached to the house it has a gated section within the outhouse and a good size area for roosting and nest boxes the floor is old stone tiles which i will cover in straw and close the gate over of a night then lock the shed/outhouse up so will be fox proof it has windows for ventilation. It is the perfect spot it even has floor drainage for when thoroughly cleaning out. It even has basic electricity and lighting in there and outdoor taps.

Heres the catch the run will be opposite this outhouse/shed and I cant connect the run to the shed as it would block the path to the main garden so the plan would be to let the chickens out first thing and pop them into the run then tuck them back up at dusk? would something like this be feasble? what if they want to lay in the day should I pop some nesting boxes in a quiet area of the run....

Any advice for this newbie please???

 

[nchls school]

What you describe could work, but I think the time involved with it and your always needing to put birds away for the night would get tiresome quickly...and if you have to be gone??

My advice is to make the run attached to the shed even if that means not using the area that is on concrete.

 

[lalalandchickens]

We let our dog out for a last wee around dusk so putting the chickens "to bed" would add a few more minutes to the daily rountine.

 

[Punkybrewster]

You could lure them to the run and back to the coop with a bit of scratch feed or some other daily treat. It would make it easier to train them to the routine every day.

 

[lalalandchickens]

Great thinking it's only a few feet away so shouldn't be to hard to do.

 

[lalalandchickens]

A little bump for the Day crowd (am in UK)

 

[rosemarythyme]

Moving them back and forth shouldn't be a huge issue, but yes it'll make it more difficult to manage should you ever be away for any period of time. You'll also need to adjust your timing as the days grow longer and shorter through the seasons - if you're putting them in the coop at 5 PM in winter, they're not going to like it if you try to do the same in the summer when the sun's still up.

 

[lalalandchickens]

If I go away for a holiday etc the breeder in getting the chickens from offer chicken boarding if I ever need it.

Yep the times they are let out and tucked up will change with the seasons.
Do hens lay just at night when in there coop? Or will I need nesting boxes in the run aswell?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do hens lay just at night when in there coop? Or will I need nesting boxes in the run aswell?

They tend to lay earlier in the day but can lay from sunrise to sunset (and occasionally at night on accident). So yes if you have them locked in the run during the day you'll need to provide a place for them to lay in both coop and run.