I get alot of questions about my barn and where I brood chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys and guineas. I thought I would take some photos early this morning when i went to open up for the girls and check the chickies.
This building was ca. 1915. It is huge rough cut timbers. Someone decided to cover it in asphalt siding sometime in the late '60s but we have been trying to take that stuff off a little at a time because it is rotten and the goats can nibble it. So as we take it off and expose the aged timbers the true beauty of the building is slowing being exposed. We actually plan to replace the siding with some T-111 and paint it barn red. It is a HUGE future plan and project.
The building is very solid with a few exceptions. The people we bought the property from used part of it as junk storage and let animals wander in and out at will with no bedding for them until one room the floor had bad places in it. Also one area has moved on its old foundation due to the tree line never being trimmed up. As sad as it sounds the previous owners where VERY VERY extremely neglectful and lazy when it came to their animals and the unkeep of some areas of the buildings.
The floors are tongue in groove hardwood. As are the doors. Each room was built to house 500 birds at one time. The man who built my house and these barns has his own store, was the train depot stop, was the Post Master and a local farmer. he made his money where he saw opportunity. Can you imagine how many eggs and chickens got sent down the train lines to the next town to little stores and markets?
We have repaired 2 rooms for my chickens. 1 room is under repair for a feed storage area. 1 room is outfitted for my goats. 1 room is not too great but we will be reworking the floor and repairing it for the young bucklings when we separate them from the older girls. The final area is ground level for the turkeys.
This is a around the room view of my main layer room. The girls are sparse in there this morning. The minute I opened up the pophole they zoomed out to the over grown grass field for the grass and bug foraging.
We got these windows last winter when a house was being remodeled. I stopped and left a message asking for the old windows in the trash pile and owner gave them to me. We hung and hinged them to keep out the cold winter wind. They work well! I open them daily for the nice breeze that comes in.
The boxes on the walls are built in feeder. I usually keep different things in them. Grains, oystershell, grit, layer feed, etc. I have a couple hens who want to nest in them and lay their eggs in the grains.
A shot of the roosts and underneath is the built in removable nest boxes. The kiddie pool is full of play sand and was used for their winter time dust bath.
Far end is almost the same as the other. Feeder boxes are set lower for chick.
I wired it for electricity last summer. They have a radio and more hanging feeders and waterers. never enough fresh water. We plan to do some gravity auto waterers because I can't run water out there without major changes to my well which is as old as the house and hand dug and we refuse to change it.
Each room has an exterior entrance door and a interior door that leads to the next room.
The next room is a room we did the biggest modification too. We divided and made 3 separate holding pens in this area. I have a nursery and hospital ER if needed and open floor area can be used if i needed to make room for another rooster and his ladies.
This room is built the same as the last and the same as the next.
They are big and airy with front wndows and rear windows and popholes on both sides opening into the front or back pasture.
This room we have not been long finished. Mosby and Bonnie will be moved here as soon as the Wanda the Broody Wyandotte moves off the RIR eggs she is setting.
One of my favorite features is the built in feeder boxes and perches.
This middle area my husband hates. He hates hates hates it.
I took some frames and lined them with wire and put them in place to divide the roost into 2 sections and prevent the chickens on the bottom from getting to the babies.
KorfusKluckers and Jody's eggs I hatched.
My husband thinks it is ugly and hates the way it looks. i think it is fine.
Jimmy47 and BamaChicken's eggs I hatched.
When I integrate the other chickens I can remove the paritions and open the area back up without having to tear out any construction.
Tuffoldhen's eggs I hatched.
It is servicable and I like quick and easy.
Here is Mosby and Bonnie - again with a built in feeder. They work so well!
So, here is my barn for all those who ask. The geese have a goose house int he pasture. The guineas free range and roost with the goats having abandoned their coop so I took it back.
The only thing left on my side porch are ducks and guinea keets.
That is - until the bators start to hatch!
This building was ca. 1915. It is huge rough cut timbers. Someone decided to cover it in asphalt siding sometime in the late '60s but we have been trying to take that stuff off a little at a time because it is rotten and the goats can nibble it. So as we take it off and expose the aged timbers the true beauty of the building is slowing being exposed. We actually plan to replace the siding with some T-111 and paint it barn red. It is a HUGE future plan and project.
The building is very solid with a few exceptions. The people we bought the property from used part of it as junk storage and let animals wander in and out at will with no bedding for them until one room the floor had bad places in it. Also one area has moved on its old foundation due to the tree line never being trimmed up. As sad as it sounds the previous owners where VERY VERY extremely neglectful and lazy when it came to their animals and the unkeep of some areas of the buildings.
The floors are tongue in groove hardwood. As are the doors. Each room was built to house 500 birds at one time. The man who built my house and these barns has his own store, was the train depot stop, was the Post Master and a local farmer. he made his money where he saw opportunity. Can you imagine how many eggs and chickens got sent down the train lines to the next town to little stores and markets?
We have repaired 2 rooms for my chickens. 1 room is under repair for a feed storage area. 1 room is outfitted for my goats. 1 room is not too great but we will be reworking the floor and repairing it for the young bucklings when we separate them from the older girls. The final area is ground level for the turkeys.
This is a around the room view of my main layer room. The girls are sparse in there this morning. The minute I opened up the pophole they zoomed out to the over grown grass field for the grass and bug foraging.
We got these windows last winter when a house was being remodeled. I stopped and left a message asking for the old windows in the trash pile and owner gave them to me. We hung and hinged them to keep out the cold winter wind. They work well! I open them daily for the nice breeze that comes in.
The boxes on the walls are built in feeder. I usually keep different things in them. Grains, oystershell, grit, layer feed, etc. I have a couple hens who want to nest in them and lay their eggs in the grains.
A shot of the roosts and underneath is the built in removable nest boxes. The kiddie pool is full of play sand and was used for their winter time dust bath.
Far end is almost the same as the other. Feeder boxes are set lower for chick.
I wired it for electricity last summer. They have a radio and more hanging feeders and waterers. never enough fresh water. We plan to do some gravity auto waterers because I can't run water out there without major changes to my well which is as old as the house and hand dug and we refuse to change it.
Each room has an exterior entrance door and a interior door that leads to the next room.
The next room is a room we did the biggest modification too. We divided and made 3 separate holding pens in this area. I have a nursery and hospital ER if needed and open floor area can be used if i needed to make room for another rooster and his ladies.
This room is built the same as the last and the same as the next.
They are big and airy with front wndows and rear windows and popholes on both sides opening into the front or back pasture.
This room we have not been long finished. Mosby and Bonnie will be moved here as soon as the Wanda the Broody Wyandotte moves off the RIR eggs she is setting.
One of my favorite features is the built in feeder boxes and perches.
This middle area my husband hates. He hates hates hates it.
I took some frames and lined them with wire and put them in place to divide the roost into 2 sections and prevent the chickens on the bottom from getting to the babies.
KorfusKluckers and Jody's eggs I hatched.
My husband thinks it is ugly and hates the way it looks. i think it is fine.
Jimmy47 and BamaChicken's eggs I hatched.
When I integrate the other chickens I can remove the paritions and open the area back up without having to tear out any construction.
Tuffoldhen's eggs I hatched.
It is servicable and I like quick and easy.
Here is Mosby and Bonnie - again with a built in feeder. They work so well!
So, here is my barn for all those who ask. The geese have a goose house int he pasture. The guineas free range and roost with the goats having abandoned their coop so I took it back.
The only thing left on my side porch are ducks and guinea keets.
That is - until the bators start to hatch!
