My new chickens

[Muker]

Hey there. I got four hens a month ago. I built them a coop and run and they are settling in well. It took them a week or two to start laying eggs but now they are in the full swing of things I am getting 21 eggs a week. I am thinking of letting them be completly free range but here's my dilemma . I cannot get to them until around lunchtime. So I wouldn't be able to open there coop door until then. I'm wondering if there's something I could make to open the door for me.i know you can buy them bu I'd rather keep my money for other preps.anyway I just thought I'd share that and thankfully receive any ideas.

Cheers

Muker

[Moony]

Not cheap, but there is this: http://www.pandtpoultry.co.uk/index.php ... uctid/2231

I imagine there must be cheaper ways of doing this too.

[Muker]

Not cheap, but there is this: http://www.pandtpoultry.co.uk/index.php ... uctid/2231

I imagine there must be cheaper ways of doing this too.

Thanks moony. Ye there has to be a way.even if it was an alarm clock type mod but instead of sounding the alarm it cracked the door up or something.then I wouldn't have to rely on battery's or lecky. But I may have to buy one of these so I can get more hens

[cavealaska]

I have mine in a hen house, but a have built a fence around it that is fox proof so they can come out when they please, would that be an option at all.

[gary5wift]

That's how I do it - hen house fenced off and chooks come and go as they please.

[Muker]

Ye would defonatly be an option but because there's trees surrounding my BOL I would need a mesh roof on it as well witch could end up as expensive as an automatic door opener. There are loads of foxes around(although I try and keep there nombers down myself) and IV seen them climb the trees to get ontop of my coop I have just now so the roof would be a must. On the other hand I could just stick to having the four hens and keep things the way they are. But come the end of days I hope to use the land I am on as a safe haven for a lot of people so the more fresh food available the better realy

[junmist]

what type are they if you want free range chickens with lots of foxes you will be better of having the older type of chichen that can get up into the trees as well as fly some of the more moden types have trouble getting off the ground

[cavealaska]

I remember seeing river cottage and Hew put his hen house on stilts and but a chicken ladder, which the chickens could get up but the fox could not, he had no other fencing and no losses to the foxes, that may be an option

[Muker]

Ye good idea I like that, they are older chickens I'm not sure how old but they do go up the trees now.i let them out when I'm there then get the locked up before I leave