Creating cover for your chickens

[TJAnonymous]

This thread is meant to be a compliment to my other thread about protection from hawks. I have a large run. Approximately 35' x 150'. My girls have a couple of hiding places within their run, but I could certain add more and improve their options. I also have two goats who share this space so planting shrubbery is not going to work. The goats will simply eat it.

Please post some cool ideas that you have used to create cover/hiding places for your chickens to use to hide from hawks.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

This thread is meant to be a compliment to my other thread about protection from hawks. I have a large run. Approximately 35' x 150'. My girls have a couple of hiding places within their run, but I could certain add more and improve their options. I also have two goats who share this space so planting shrubbery is not going to work. The goats will simply eat it.

Please post some cool ideas that you have used to create cover/hiding places for your chickens to use to hide from hawks.

What about pallets on 2x4s that are about 18" tall? Like a pier on a pond, that they can stand under?

 

[aart]

What about pallets on 2x4s that are about 18" tall? Like a pier on a pond, that they can stand under?

Or pallet on concrete blocks.
Better make them sturdy cause the goats will like jumping on them too.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Or pallet on concrete blocks.
Better make them sturdy cause the goats will like jumping on them too.

Good point. I forget how big those blocks are sometimes

 

[TJAnonymous]

Or pallet on concrete blocks.
Better make them sturdy cause the goats will like jumping on them too.

I was trying to figure out what the 2x4s were for.... I automatically assumed Jac meant to put them on those concrete piers that people use for their decks.

Pallets are free and easy to get.... There's a place close by that even throws out pallets with solid tops (instead of slatted). This could work. I just don't want it to look like a junk yard out there.... Maybe paint it to look better? I also thought about screwing down some planters that I could plant some treats in?

 

[aart]

I also thought about screwing down some planters that I could plant some treats in?

Goats will love that.
They can't get into the chicken coop/feed, right?

 

[TJAnonymous]

Goats will love that.
They can't get into the chicken coop/feed, right?

No, I keep a free choice feeder inside the chicken coop for the flock. Goats are too big to fit through the automatic chicken door after I nailed a 2x4 on the outside. Chickens can still come and go freely....

But actually right now I am trying to figure out how to feed them their scratch grains since we just got 6 inches of snow.... Lol. Not used to snow around these parts.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I ended up taking several rubber feeder bowls into the coop to put their scratch grains in... And since NONE of them want to go outside and trek through 8 inches of snow to reach the water bowls 30 ft away, I went ahead and brought a bucket of water into the coop too. I can't bring the heated water bowl into the coop because the goats use it too....

 

[aart]

I ended up taking several rubber feeder bowls into the coop to put their scratch grains in

That's what I do on mornings that are too nasty(<10° and windy).
I use metal pie tins.