The Chickens have arrived!

[Stonehead]

How often would you expect the chickens to be outside? They come out for an hour or so and have some food/drink in the morning when I open the pop-hole, but then spend most of the rest of the day stood in the nesting box area at the back of the house. I expected them to be out for most of the day, so this is concerning me a bit, although I'm probably worrying about nothing as they could come out if they wanetd to.

It varies. Some of ours spend every moment outside and are reluctant to go in even at dusk, others need levering out with a crowbar.

The main thing is to give them the freedom to go in and out, and to ensure they have some sort of overhead cover outside. That way, they can be outside but still feel protected from the sky falling on their heads.

Seriously, chickens like to have a bit of cover as they don't like predators overhead and predators cover everything from large birds (like hawks) to clouds, helicopters, RAF Tornadoes, moving branches and even a bloke up a ladder (the electricity linesman really freaked our chickens).

We have a portable awning made of planks and corrugated iron that we lug about. It's too heavy to blow over, protects them from cold winds as well as from things in the sky and also makes a fine roost for the braver ones.

[the.fee.fairy]

thanks for the can thing stoney...

i'll have to start saving them too now to line the bottom of the aviary!!

I was thinking of getting some aluminium cans (coke cans) and cutting them through the middle to give it a serrated edge, and then nailing them randomly on the bottom of the aviary.

Any reasons why this is a bad idea?

[jonc]

How often would you expect the chickens to be outside? They come out for an hour or so and have some food/drink in the morning when I open the pop-hole, but then spend most of the rest of the day stood in the nesting box area at the back of the house. I expected them to be out for most of the day, so this is concerning me a bit, although I'm probably worrying about nothing as they could come out if they wanetd to.

It varies. Some of ours spend every moment outside and are reluctant to go in even at dusk, others need levering out with a crowbar.

The main thing is to give them the freedom to go in and out, and to ensure they have some sort of overhead cover outside. That way, they can be outside but still feel protected from the sky falling on their heads.

Seriously, chickens like to have a bit of cover as they don't like predators overhead and predators cover everything from large birds (like hawks) to clouds, helicopters, RAF Tornadoes, moving branches and even a bloke up a ladder (the electricity linesman really freaked our chickens).

We have a portable awning made of planks and corrugated iron that we lug about. It's too heavy to blow over, protects them from cold winds as well as from things in the sky and also makes a fine roost for the braver ones.

They have a smallish undercover area at the end of the run, which is where their food/water is during the day. They can come and go as they choose, but as their food is outside under the cover they have to come out occasionally! The whole area is enclosed by chicken wire, a bit like a larger version of an eglu run, with a shelter at the end.
I've just found one of our cats sitting on the top of the shelter staring down, which can't be helping..

Thanks for the advice all - it's much appreciated.