Once my layers are grown, I intend on housing them in homemade
movable pen/run, then moving them to fresh grass as needed.

I think here in us they're just called portable coops, and in europe,
maybe arks?

I've seen English versions that are A-Frames (mother earth news has
plans for one), and US that are more like movable doghouses.

Anyway, I've looked at several styles on the net, and was wondering if
anyone else does something similar and if they have a style they
prefer?

Or if anyone has tried electrified netting?

Once my layers are grown, I intend on housing them in homemade
movable pen/run, then moving them to fresh grass as needed.

I think here in us they're just called portable coops, and in europe,
maybe arks?

I've seen English versions that are A-Frames (mother earth news has
plans for one), and US that are more like movable doghouses.

Anyway, I've looked at several styles on the net, and was wondering if
anyone else does something similar and if they have a style they
prefer?

Or if anyone has tried electrified netting?

Anyway, I've looked at several styles on the net, and was wondering if
anyone else does something similar and if they have a style they
prefer?

Or if anyone has tried electrified netting?

JustTom wrote:

Anyway, I've looked at several styles on the net, and was wondering if
anyone else does something similar and if they have a style they
prefer?

A frames are convenient for the manufacturer as they use less materials BUT
they are not so good for the birds.
They limit the head room available to the birds getting up to roost
They limit the ventilation available to birds at roost
They come in on the birds out grazing
They make it impossible to provide a full cover over a run without
interfering with the ventilation
They restrict the use of the ground as birds don't like going into the
corners

A proper straight sided house is much better. It can have an apex roof as
long as the main part of the house is a proper box shape.
If your climate is wet or showery you should have a good solid floor. This
way you can dress it with shavings which will wick away the water from the
birds as they move in and out. A slatted/ wire floor is okay in places where
the climate is dry, but you do have to be very careful in your management
otherwise you can burn the grazing.

Or if anyone has tried electrified netting?

Yes - and I sell to others. Its very effective
It requires a little care in setting up initially but you soon get used to
it.
If your ground is undulating then extra posts are very useful
I have a LOT of info on my website which might be useful to you in choosing
what you need. There are lots of options available in different energisers
etc.

I don't know the history, but got the impression that the "ark"
A-Frame was a traditional English design, so thought that maybe it had
evolved that way for good reason.

A while back, I read a book by Eliot Coleman call The 4 season garden
or something, and in a chapter on ducks, there was a design that
essentially looked like a regular roofed doghouse on wheels, with
solid floor and wire walls.

I was thinking to expanding the house a bit, with a nest box
accessible from the rear, and then possibly attaching some kind of
wire framed run to the front. Have some barrow like handles on
the sides, and it should be easy enough to move around, with 3 or 4
hens in it.

I hadn't considered a solid floor, though. I thought that just a
roost would be sufficient. Won't they hop up and roost if the
ground gets wet?

Hadn't decided between a fixed frame smaller run, or to use the
netting. Maybe I'll try one of each.

The netting I'm considering is by premier:
http://www.premier1supplies.com/poultry/species.php?mode=article&species_id=6

Your site looks like it has a lot of info.

JustTom wrote:


I don't know the history, but got the impression that the "ark"
A-Frame was a traditional English design, so thought that maybe it had
evolved that way for good reason.

Lots of cheap/free labour to tend to seried ranks of night arks and broody
arks.
Lots of respiratory problems
;)

A while back, I read a book by Eliot Coleman call The 4 season garden
or something, and in a chapter on ducks, there was a design that
essentially looked like a regular roofed doghouse on wheels, with
solid floor and wire walls.

Wire walls are draughty unless you are somewhere hot and arid.
Wire walls put sushi on the menu of every passing predator.