Rain!

[Heffalump]

We live in Ireland so we get rain pretty much 25/7.

Any tips to make it more pleasant for the hens? We only have 5 at the minute, but are planning to up it to 10 or 11 soon.

Their run is an old overrun vegetable patch and it has little scrubs and plants and the odd stumpy tree in it. It's over 600 sq ft. The only real shelter that they have is their coop.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Welcome to BYC!
Do your chickens ever free range to find sheltered areas to get out of the rain? If not, my suggestion would be to put a roof on your run. Chickens who are constantly wet, are more prone to problems.

 

[DobieLover]

You could also just put a roof over a good portion of the run if covering the entire 600 sq ft is too much.

 

[Heffalump]

I'll maybe just do a portion of it. I don't want to kill off all the plants, which I assume would happen if they weren't getting enough light.

 

[rosemarythyme]

A partial roof or a free standing roofed area should be fine. We get plenty of rain through 3 seasons here but my chickens don't seem to mind it much, since drainage isn't an issue.

 

[aart]

The only real shelter that they have is their coop.

How big is the coop, in meters by meters, and can they get under it??

I'll maybe just do a portion of it. I don't want to kill off all the plants, which I assume would happen if they weren't getting enough light.

Ummm... chances are the chickens are going to destroy most the plants anyway by eating and/or scratching up the roots.
So a roof is a good idea, just roof as much as you can, at least half.....if it really rains constantly any amount of roofing is essential.

Oh, and, Welcome to BYC!

 

[Heffalump]

Their coop is about 1m square. It is raised so they can get underneath it.

 

[aart]

Their coop is about 1m square. It is raised so they can get underneath it.

That's tight space for 5 birds, both inside and sheltering underneath from the rain.

 

[NoFlyBackFarm]

You should get a plastic table, temporarily, for shelter till you can roof the run.

 

[jolly wattles]

That's tight space for 5 birds, both inside and sheltering underneath from the rain.

I agree that is tiny for 5 birds. If you go to 10 or 11 birds you'll need a bigger coop.