This thread is for anyone who's chickens do not live in a regular coop but instead live in a different building. This can be a barn, garage or just about anything else. We want to hear about it and know it's pros and cons and history behind it Here is my story.
Way back in the 70's my grandparents purchased about eighty acres of land way out in the country. They were in their early 60's when they started building a second home on this eighty acres and this small barn too. They had a camper set up on the spot and worked first on building a house then once completed this barn came next. My grandfather had worked in his earlier life as a carpenter, painter and wallpaper hanger. He once worked for the electric company setting posts. He once worked in a lab for General Mills.
It's hard imagining in today's time people in their 60's building a house and barn all by themselves with no help from anyone else. Just one man and his wife working side by side enjoying the country.
Well, this barn at first held a truck bed camper. Then later on it was storage for two fishing boots. In the early eighties my grandfather purchased a mare for me. Her name was Lucy. She had a colt we named Ginger. So many memories of being at my grandparents farm! My grandparents have been gone for years now and the memories still remain.
Today half of the barn has been converted into a 'hen house'. We added a few windows and built a run area. The chickens use the right side of the barn. It seems to work great and they enjoy all the large spaces they have to roam. It's well ventilated with plenty of light.
My grandmother would have loved what we have done with the barn because she use to raise chickens for meat and eggs when times where rough back in the early 50's. Once she hatched over 300 baby chicks during the winter and had to stay right with them night and day for weeks so they would not suffocate one another. I suppose they all lived!
Now a days this small barn is home to Buff Opringtons, Red Stars, Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds and Australorps.
If you open the largest set of double doors you'd see a large work bench against the back wall and I can still see my grandfather standing there as he works away on something! He was always a very busy man. I can recall the day my step dad skinned his first deer behind those doors. So many memories from my childhood. I'm so happy to be living on this land and to call it my home.
Way back in the 70's my grandparents purchased about eighty acres of land way out in the country. They were in their early 60's when they started building a second home on this eighty acres and this small barn too. They had a camper set up on the spot and worked first on building a house then once completed this barn came next. My grandfather had worked in his earlier life as a carpenter, painter and wallpaper hanger. He once worked for the electric company setting posts. He once worked in a lab for General Mills.
It's hard imagining in today's time people in their 60's building a house and barn all by themselves with no help from anyone else. Just one man and his wife working side by side enjoying the country.
Well, this barn at first held a truck bed camper. Then later on it was storage for two fishing boots. In the early eighties my grandfather purchased a mare for me. Her name was Lucy. She had a colt we named Ginger. So many memories of being at my grandparents farm! My grandparents have been gone for years now and the memories still remain.
Today half of the barn has been converted into a 'hen house'. We added a few windows and built a run area. The chickens use the right side of the barn. It seems to work great and they enjoy all the large spaces they have to roam. It's well ventilated with plenty of light.
My grandmother would have loved what we have done with the barn because she use to raise chickens for meat and eggs when times where rough back in the early 50's. Once she hatched over 300 baby chicks during the winter and had to stay right with them night and day for weeks so they would not suffocate one another. I suppose they all lived!
Now a days this small barn is home to Buff Opringtons, Red Stars, Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds and Australorps.
If you open the largest set of double doors you'd see a large work bench against the back wall and I can still see my grandfather standing there as he works away on something! He was always a very busy man. I can recall the day my step dad skinned his first deer behind those doors. So many memories from my childhood. I'm so happy to be living on this land and to call it my home.
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