Well, after three years, a lot of mistakes, a lot of learning, a lot of frowning over what I should have done better, I took the plunge and got my (now) 14 girls an early Christmas present - a new and HUGELY improved hen house. A local company, Overholt, makes these and I've been drooling over them for the last year or so. They pre-built it to my specifications, and even set it up in my backyard. Maybe BYC could have a new catgegory - Before and After!!!
Here's my previous version:
I gave it a 9 for security (never had any varmints get in), but a 2 for maintenance, hard to clean, lots of angles and corners plus the "roof" wasn't very high, lots of backaches; and a 0 for the roof itself, chicken wire which made it very muddy and messy in the winter. Pretty homey, obviously home-made. At least it kept them warm and dry, but the hen house was getting cramped, had to do something.
And now? Well, pix speak for themselves!
Three rows of perches, lots of room for all, great metal roof (I'm going to soooo love that this winter!), sturdy construction. One of my neighbors said it's built better than some cabins he's been in. The doors and latches are amazing. I also want to give a shout out to the BYCers out there, based on my searches and the various recommendations, the transition went incredibly smooth for my girls. I positioned the set up in about the same place as the old and oriented it so that the perches are north-south, just like they were before. They went in that night no problem, settled onto the new perches AND were laying eggs in the new nesting boxes the next day!!! Couldn't have been more perfect.
Here's my previous version:
I gave it a 9 for security (never had any varmints get in), but a 2 for maintenance, hard to clean, lots of angles and corners plus the "roof" wasn't very high, lots of backaches; and a 0 for the roof itself, chicken wire which made it very muddy and messy in the winter. Pretty homey, obviously home-made. At least it kept them warm and dry, but the hen house was getting cramped, had to do something.
And now? Well, pix speak for themselves!
Three rows of perches, lots of room for all, great metal roof (I'm going to soooo love that this winter!), sturdy construction. One of my neighbors said it's built better than some cabins he's been in. The doors and latches are amazing. I also want to give a shout out to the BYCers out there, based on my searches and the various recommendations, the transition went incredibly smooth for my girls. I positioned the set up in about the same place as the old and oriented it so that the perches are north-south, just like they were before. They went in that night no problem, settled onto the new perches AND were laying eggs in the new nesting boxes the next day!!! Couldn't have been more perfect.
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