Current run set-up *PIC HEAVY*

[Robin'sBrood]

As of now we have 16 chickens. 4 adults, 4 six week old Cornish Rocks, 4 six & seven week old layers, and 4 three week old layers.

The wee ones, along with Tiny (our "dwarf" 6 week old) are in the brooder today because we had a cold front come through last night. The others are all in their sectioned off areas of our run.

The whole run extends the entire back of our house, minus the garage.

The Cornish Rocks are sectioned off under the deck during the day (in the tractor at night.)

The adults are in the picket fence area. I think they miss "their" deck area.

The older layer chicks are in the tractor, which is inside the picket area of the run.

The adults like to stand on the tractor, especially my handsome roo.

He has to get up there so he can keep an eye on what is going on in the backyard.

And so he can do this the whole time I'm back there.

We're moving our run because of the summertime fly problem. I'm going to miss having my birds right outside my windows, but I'm NOT going to miss all the flies that come inside the house every time a door gets opened!

 

[Tala]

I like that under the deck idea. Nice shady place, easy to fence in. I could do that if I need to expand! hehehehe (see, already making plans to expand)

 

[mrsengeseth]

sounds like a perfect spot to me!

 

[Lil Chickie Mama]

Uh oh, you are giving us all ideas on how to have more chicken space, not good for our spouses who get to help out! Very cool though. I like your roo, Mr. Protector! (hey that's what I'll name mine when I get him...) Quick question, have you thought about using DE for your fly problem? I read that even using it in the chicken feed makes it so that their stools are uninhabitable for fly larvae and adult flies. Just curious if you tried it and it didn't work or you haven't tried it.

 

[Tala]

Flies come in my house every time the door gets opened too, and I have had chickens a whole 3 weeks!!

I've said before, I filled about 8 of those Rescue fly traps last summer. I think it's the neighborhood dogs, and trash, and stuff like that.

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

Growing chickens = growing droppings.

I like mine a good 100 feet from the house. But hey! To each his own.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Quote:
You can see the top to my reusable Rescue fly trap in the tractor picture. The rest of it is in the shed. I guess I need to go ahead and fill that thing up, but it is soooooooo stinky that I actually dread having to use it.

Lil Chickie Mama, don't think that I haven't thought of springing the "well, now I have room for some Silkies" idea on my DH once our new run is built!

I'll try to contain myself and be happy with what I already have though.

I haven't used DE but have thought of getting some and trying it out. The main reason we're moving the run is because with all of our new babies we're going to need a much bigger coop (the XL wood dog house just won't hold a dozen chickens!) so we're going to turn part of our shed into a coop and attach the run to it.

The idea is to let my dogs have their little picket fence area back, but you just never know, some Silkies may fall into my lap one day, and then...

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Quote:
I haven't even had my chickens for a whole year yet... live and learn.

 

[Tala]

Robin'sBrood :

Quote:
You can see the top to my reusable Rescue fly trap in the tractor picture. The rest of it is in the shed. I guess I need to go ahead and fill that thing up, but it is soooooooo stinky that I actually dread having to use it.

Put it way out back, further from your house and animals.

Maybe you could use some lime to help with the chicken smell? I read on here that it's great. or like the others said, DE might help cut down on the fly reproduction.​

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

Robin'sBrood :

Quote:
I haven't even had my chickens for a whole year yet... live and learn.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder.