Breeder house design

[minister man]

I want to build a building to house my breeders. I want the house to contain. I want to design it more like a rabbit house, because I want each bird to have it's own living quaters. The males will be added to the females pens when they are breeding.
My reason for doing it this way is simply to be able to learn more about selection, and keep better track of breeders.

I have some designs done, but wondering what others think. I am thinking that:

...... each bird will have a 2 x3 foot pen,

...... Any alley ways between cages should be at least 3 feet wide and 4 would be better

...... The male needs to be with the hen every 3 day

...... I would like to keep the pens up 3 feet off the floor so the birds are up closer to a "show setting" so it makes it easier to see what I am looking at and compare the birds.

Has anyone got a set up like this, or have any feed back on my building?

 

[FeatheredFreind]

I am interested too. I have a 12'x20' building to work with. Can we please see some pictures of your breeder buildings? All and any sizes would be helpful.

 

[maryhysong]

I saw a design once where the building was an octogon, the center was used for feed storage and record keeping. The pens were all around the outside wall, so you could feed and water from the central area. The building was surrounded by large outdoor runs, each breeder pen had a pop door to an outdoor run.

I would want to give individual birds more space, 2x3 is only 6 square feet, I'd opt for 10 each if at all possible, especially if they won't have a run attached. Personally I don't like to have birds up on wire if I can help it. I think they need to be down on the ground scratching and chasing bugs and getting a good dust bath to prevent mites and such.

Currently all of my coops are mobile so I can move them to new runs and make gardens in the old ones. Great way to increase soil fertility

 

[minister man]

Oh, I wasn't going to put the birds on wire floors. I was going to build a plywood shelf up off the floor that would be the floor of the cages. With the silkies, I think wire floors would be too hard on the foot feathers wouldn't it?

 

[maryhysong]

I don't know about silkies; personally I prefer deep litter in coops and small runs, keeps clean out to a minimum and makes great gardens. I've got a lot of other things to do besides scooping chicken poop.

 

[Chris Herzog]

I use these for Lg Fowl. The first pen is 12 X 6 divided into 3 separate pens. Not really what you wanted but may give you some ideas. I put one male and one hen in each pen at a time and keep the males in here when I'm not breeding them. All the hens go into the hen house, another building.

The next pic might work better for you. These pens are 3 X 10 divided into 2 separate pens. I use them for conditioning pens but would be great for breeding bantams.

 

[minister man]

Good information, and nice pictures. One thing I forgot to mention is that to set up my breeding pens this time of year for fall show birds is is about 5 to -12 F. That is why I was wanting to put them all in a building, and was thinking that I need to house them fairly tight in order to keep them warm ; Pesky winter thing

 

[FeatheredFreind]

chris herzog= I like your pen pictures. My husband gave me this building that i am tring to make into a breeder house with seperate pop doors and runs out around.