Chicken coop, free range and human use outhouse idea. Input needed.

[Werewolf45]

Hello all,

I'm a total noob so don't be to harsh on me. Well I'm 30 years old and finally getting my very own plot of land I have dreamed of from childhood. My idea is to kill two.... um lizards (don't want to say birds with one stone.

So in my area we have many large black widows during the summer as well as rattle snakes. In brain storming on how to keep my outhouse free of black widows I came up with an idea. I want to have a appropriate sized free area for my chickens during the day and put my outhouse smack dab in the middle. The coop itself would be at one end of the entire area. I'm thinking of something pretty large here.

My goal is to have enough eggs to feed two adults, three children year round and some extras to barter with. In the long run I would possibly like to harvest one chicken a week or month for it's meat.

So my real question comes down to, do I run any health risks of my chickens being in an area with an outhouse?

Again I'm totally new to having chickens. I've been reading like a mad man for three months now but have yet to come across anyone doing this.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. I doubt that the outhouse will constitute a health hazard for the chickens. Even with the 'chicken patrol' be careful of any dangling parts when using the outhouse.

 

[Werewolf45]

Ok out comes the noob in me. what is the "Chicken Patrol"?

 

[sourland]

Chickens foraging around the outhouse eating flies, mosquitoes, bugs, and hopefully spiders. As a kid we had an outhouse, and out of fear of those critters I always allowed air space between my butt and the 'glory hole'.

 

[Nambroth]

I think it is fantastic you are doing a lot of research beforehand.

As long as you keep a cover on the 'glory hole' so that no one can fall in (I'm talking about chickens here, but, you don't want anything living falling in no doubt!), I don't think it will pose any harm to the chickens.

I respectfully don't think the chickens will do much to control the black widows, however. Chickens don't tend to focus on any insects (or, spiders) above chicken eye-level, and only then if it is actively moving and a very choice target (such as a large juicy slow-moving beetle, etc). I have spiders in my coop and the chickens don't even seem to notice them. I think the spiders aren't enticing enough to warrant the effort of trying to jump for them.

Best wishes in your endeavors!

 

[smhoekzema]

I'll second on chickens not caring about spiders! They eat all the worms out of my vegie patch but not once have I seen a spider go!! Hopeless.....