The former owners of my house left me a perfectly nice shed/henhouse that has been my gardening shed for the last 5 years. They kept chickens & turkeys so I know it worked then.
The fencing for the run has gone to heck and I'm working on getting that replaced. Then I'll be ready for chickens
Today I cleaned the henhouse of the junk they left behind.
I found a waterer and what looks to be a homemade feeder that I'll recycle if possible.
There were several fruit crates and I set up two of these for future nestboxes (I'm planning on 4 hens to start). I set the crates on cinderblocks - maybe 8" off the floor - is that ok? Should I add a ramp or ladder or will hens be able to use the boxes as they are?
For roosts I used two tree branches that have been "aging" outside. Both are free of bark and about 3-4" in diameter. I wedged them cattycorner at one end - opposite the nestboxes - one is straight across, about 2' off the ground, the other was too long so it is at floor level at one end and about the same height at the other. Will these work for roosts?
Half the flooring is cinderblock, the half where the nestboxes and roosts are is plywood. I'll put down shavings on the plywood half once I'm ready for hens. Should I put something under the shavings? Something to keep the shavings off the other half?
I have horses so I'll have hay available to line the nextboxes - or would shavings be better?
Thanks in advance for your help
The fencing for the run has gone to heck and I'm working on getting that replaced. Then I'll be ready for chickens
Today I cleaned the henhouse of the junk they left behind.
I found a waterer and what looks to be a homemade feeder that I'll recycle if possible.
There were several fruit crates and I set up two of these for future nestboxes (I'm planning on 4 hens to start). I set the crates on cinderblocks - maybe 8" off the floor - is that ok? Should I add a ramp or ladder or will hens be able to use the boxes as they are?
For roosts I used two tree branches that have been "aging" outside. Both are free of bark and about 3-4" in diameter. I wedged them cattycorner at one end - opposite the nestboxes - one is straight across, about 2' off the ground, the other was too long so it is at floor level at one end and about the same height at the other. Will these work for roosts?
Half the flooring is cinderblock, the half where the nestboxes and roosts are is plywood. I'll put down shavings on the plywood half once I'm ready for hens. Should I put something under the shavings? Something to keep the shavings off the other half?
I have horses so I'll have hay available to line the nextboxes - or would shavings be better?
Thanks in advance for your help
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