Explaining the Optional Extras

Slide out floor
The houses for which the Slide out floor is an option are : Weeford; Lynford; Swinford; Aylesford; Hereford, Oxford, Hintsford.
The houses for which the Slide out floor is a standard fitting are : Windsor, Grosvenor, Stafford, Argyll, Ranger , Dartford,
The houses which have solid floors only are : Budget Bantam, Westford, Brentford, Cambridge, Highland
The slideout floor means you are removing the whole floor when you clean out the house. It comes out from the back of the house and there is a handle for easy use.
The advantages are that its easier on the back for cleaning than stooping into the house and you can give the inside a complete wash out once in a while. It is not necessary to do this more than once or twice a year with a solid floor and well managed bedding. Much more preferable to being forced to wash out horrid plastic muck caked units every week.
You will always make a more thorough job of cleaning out a small house using a slide out floor, there are less likely to be residual corners of bedding which are hidaways for populations of mites and lice to build up. The bigger units without the slide out floor are easier to get right into so you can clean them thoroughly.
All the raised houses have a slide out floor as standard. With the others you can choose the option to be included in your unit.

External Nestbox
Chickens need a nestbox but ducks and geese don't, so for the models that can be used for either species we have the nestbox as an option instead of as standard.
The houses that have a nestbox included as standard are designed specifically for chickens: Stafford, Grosvenor, Windsor, these are not suitable for ducks.
The rest of the houses which have an external nestbox as an option are units that are more flexible and can be used for a variety of species depending on the options you choose.
There is no internal nestbox in any of these houses.
If your house is going to be a solely brooding unit, or a house for growing on table birds or pullets up to 18 weeks old, you do not need a nestbox.
If you are choosing a house for laying chickens, laying/brooding turkeys, etc then you need to include a nestbox.
Each nestbox is divided into partitions, the number depending on its size. This makes individual areas for the hens. Chickens happily share a nestbox, even if they are wanting to lay at the same time. The standards are to provide one for up to 10 birds. Most of our houses have one to 3-4 hens.
There are various sizes depending on the birds you are going to keep.
The standard size is 12 inches by 12 inches and is perfectly fine for all the small and medium sized birds up to most Marans, Light Sussex and Rhode Islands. All commerical hybrids are included in this group.
If your birds are very large versions of their breeds then look to the larger 15" nestbox. This is predominantly for Braham's, Orpingtons, Cochins and similar.
For laying turkeys we can also provide an 18" by 24" nestbox for the bigger units.

Carry handles
Not everyone needs carry handles but they are very useful to manouevre the house about.
If you simply want to lift it onto a sheet of polythene to clean it out, for instance. Also to take the house to a new clean area of the paddock or garden.
For ducks particularly, as they are muckier and by the time you go to move the house, the area around it, where you would put your hands to lift it, is usually a bit gooey!

End Release
This feature allows you to let the birds roam around the garden from the run. On the Grosvenor it is a standard feature, but for the other runs, whether integral or free standing it is a option you can choose. Runs are fine for temporary confinement, shelter in bad weather, protection from visiting dogs and children, but if you are having birds in your garden its best to give them as much space as you can. Its hard on the birds to be caged with all the stimulation of the garden around them but denied to them. It you need to manage their activity or are worried about daytime predators then electric netting is the best solution.

Wheels
We only offer wheels for the long units of houses and runs [Grosvenor, Aylesford, Lynford] because experience has shown that they are very ineffective for square units and usually end up being more trouble than they are worth.

Skids
For the bigger units where lifting them by hand is inpractical then skids are offered as the best method to move the house to clean pasture, which also helps to manage the grazing better and keep the birds more entertained.

Free Standing Run
For the stand alone houses, most have a free standing run to match them. These runs have an open end to abut to the house at the pophole, and a closed end opposite, although an end release can be added as an option. The lid lifts off, this is in several sections for the larger runs.
These are really handy for acclimatising new birds, for protecting young birds from predators, for creating a Bird flu safe area, by simply covering the run tops, and, with some adaptation protecting young seedlings from the birds !

To order :- We welcome the following Payment methods :-
Postal Orders and Cheques made payable to Kintaline Poultry and sent to Kintaline Poultry, Benderloch, Oban Argyll PA37 1QS
and all the following debit and credit cards - please phone Jill [01631 720223 including weekends and evenings] and she will take your details. All our prices include VAT where applicable [number :554 5831 27]
             
At the farm we also welcome cash.