Due to a certain someone putting the hard word on (thanks @stevo), I thought I'd better get some pics up quick-smart of the new chook house.
So lets go....
Bit of an overview, the idea was that it's up off the ground but also tall enough that I can stand up in it. I researched till my brain went numb and i really tried to incorporate as much as I could.
I'm probably gonna paint the timber ramp or install steps as it looks a little out of place.
The loose plastic on the roof is a protective coating that I should have pulled off before installation. Now I need to get up there and pull it all off but it doesn't come off in one nice sheet. I found this roofing on a scrap heap on a construction site. It's thick foam with tin on either side. Should keep some heat off the ladies.....
Here's a little ramp for the girls to use. Theres a slide-in door that one day I hope to have auto open/close system. I found a gadget online but it cost $200.... I dont think so.
Here's a shot from the rear. The window is just covered in plastic for now till i decide what I'm going to do with it. I couldn't be bothered constructing an awning so I had to seal it up for now to keep rain out.
You can see above the window there is ventilation at the top which is all wired up to keep nasties out.
You can also see the door on the back wall that I'll be able to open up to sweep out the straw/crap to compost.
And here's that rear door open. She's a bit rough bit it should do the job!
...and the egg laying pod. I still need to put something on the hinge area to keep the rain from running down into the boxes but it should do the job.
and this is from the inside where the ventilation ducts are. The wire is to keep nasties out.....whatever that might be....
This is one of three boxes for the girls to lay their golden eggs
I read you need to keep them a little on the small size so they dont get too comfortable. They are regulation size so we'll see what the crew thinks once they move in.
And finally the perches. I did a bit of reading on this to see what they liked and there were so many different ideas that I went with a scientific approach I read. The flat top that is wide enough for them to rest on but with slightly rounded edges. Not too wide as it's bad for their feet. I dont know...I might be making it up now, but this was along the lines of a proper study that looked at roosts. They'll love it I'm sure. One high and one low because that's just the way I roll!
A couple more things I need to do include putting wire around the open area under the house. Then I'm putting a ramp/door inside the coop so the girls can walk down to the basement area. It will basically be an area for quarantine or if we are away for a day or two. They can still scratch in the dirt, get some sun, and move around, but be safe at the same time.
I also need to get a fence around the area to keep them in.
They will have 3 free range areas. One will be their yard, and the other two will be veggie patches that they will have access to once the crops are finished and are recovering. Bit of a crop rotation system. The ladies will add manure and scratch around cleaning up scraps and bugs. We'll see how that system goes and I might add a thread about my idea some time.
I also need to make a sign called 'The Chick-INN'.
Looking at the ladies moving in next month if I can get the fence up by then.
Cheers,
Steve
So lets go....
Bit of an overview, the idea was that it's up off the ground but also tall enough that I can stand up in it. I researched till my brain went numb and i really tried to incorporate as much as I could.
I'm probably gonna paint the timber ramp or install steps as it looks a little out of place.
The loose plastic on the roof is a protective coating that I should have pulled off before installation. Now I need to get up there and pull it all off but it doesn't come off in one nice sheet. I found this roofing on a scrap heap on a construction site. It's thick foam with tin on either side. Should keep some heat off the ladies.....
Here's a little ramp for the girls to use. Theres a slide-in door that one day I hope to have auto open/close system. I found a gadget online but it cost $200.... I dont think so.
Here's a shot from the rear. The window is just covered in plastic for now till i decide what I'm going to do with it. I couldn't be bothered constructing an awning so I had to seal it up for now to keep rain out.
You can see above the window there is ventilation at the top which is all wired up to keep nasties out.
You can also see the door on the back wall that I'll be able to open up to sweep out the straw/crap to compost.
And here's that rear door open. She's a bit rough bit it should do the job!
...and the egg laying pod. I still need to put something on the hinge area to keep the rain from running down into the boxes but it should do the job.
and this is from the inside where the ventilation ducts are. The wire is to keep nasties out.....whatever that might be....
This is one of three boxes for the girls to lay their golden eggs
I read you need to keep them a little on the small size so they dont get too comfortable. They are regulation size so we'll see what the crew thinks once they move in.
And finally the perches. I did a bit of reading on this to see what they liked and there were so many different ideas that I went with a scientific approach I read. The flat top that is wide enough for them to rest on but with slightly rounded edges. Not too wide as it's bad for their feet. I dont know...I might be making it up now, but this was along the lines of a proper study that looked at roosts. They'll love it I'm sure. One high and one low because that's just the way I roll!
A couple more things I need to do include putting wire around the open area under the house. Then I'm putting a ramp/door inside the coop so the girls can walk down to the basement area. It will basically be an area for quarantine or if we are away for a day or two. They can still scratch in the dirt, get some sun, and move around, but be safe at the same time.
I also need to get a fence around the area to keep them in.
They will have 3 free range areas. One will be their yard, and the other two will be veggie patches that they will have access to once the crops are finished and are recovering. Bit of a crop rotation system. The ladies will add manure and scratch around cleaning up scraps and bugs. We'll see how that system goes and I might add a thread about my idea some time.
I also need to make a sign called 'The Chick-INN'.
Looking at the ladies moving in next month if I can get the fence up by then.
Cheers,
Steve