"Janet Galpin" wrote in message
...

Does anyone know whether chickens will get used to two different houses
and alternate between them? I'm wondering about having a moveable house
and run as well as the fixed one so that I can have them in different
parts of the garden to make use of the available grass and keep down
some pests, (e.g. in veg beds when they've been cleared of crops) but
then also have them at other times in the permanent house and run.

Thanks again
Janet G

It will upset their egg laying pattern for a while, which means that with
only a few hens, you could be without eggs for a few days and if this
coincides with the moult, that could be quite a few days, however if you can
arrange the extended garden / move as a gradual thing, then no problem.

We had a dozen birds at home and they had a fixed house and perm run, but we
opened up the run to extend it to different places, but they still had their
original laying house.

You can't beat going to the laying house, going to a nest boxes, waiting to
see which bird is about to lay, put your hand in under the bird and have the
egg delivered to your hand and straight to the kitchen to get breakfast!

and no eggs are not soft when laid, but they are sticky!!!!

Mike


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Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
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"Janet Galpin" wrote in message
...

Does anyone know whether chickens will get used to two different houses
and alternate between them? I'm wondering about having a moveable house
and run as well as the fixed one so that I can have them in different
parts of the garden to make use of the available grass and keep down
some pests, (e.g. in veg beds when they've been cleared of crops) but
then also have them at other times in the permanent house and run.

My first attempt at using a mobile coop failed as I moved it during the day
expecting the hens to go to it that night. No, the stupid things just
settled down on the earth where it used to be, despite the coop being only
yards away in clear sight.

Mike

Hi Janet our chicken run is quite nettley too, but this doesn't seem to bother the chickens and actually gives them a bit of cover from predators whilst attracting a lot of native insect life for them to feed on.
We also harvest a portion of the young nettle tops in spring when they are about a foot high. We make nettle soup and spinach which is very filling and rich in minerals and of course perfectly free. (you can pay top wack in some restaraunts now for nettle soup)
Make life easy on yourself and use the nettles to your advantage.
Best of luck