Plans For Conditioning/breeding Cages

[2hot2chicken]

I REALLY NEED TO HAVE SOME SMALLER CAGES FOR SEPERATING BIRDS FOR VARIOUS REASONS LIKE BREEDING AND FOR CONDITIONING DD SIILKIES BEFORE SHOWING, AND FOR BROODYS SO THIS IS WHAT i AM THINKING. DH SHOULD BE GETTING EXTRA DAY OFF STARTING NEXT WEEK AS BUSINESS SLOWS IN WINTER SO I CAN HAVE HIM WORKING ON PROJECTS FOR ME LIKE DD MINI COOP FOR HER OWN SILKIES ANDD THIS. ANY POSSITIVE COMMENTS, THOUGHTS OR IDEAS ARE APPRECIATED!

PLEASE DO NOT COMMENT ON HOW I DO NOT NEED TO CONFINE MY BIRDS TO CONDITION THEM BECAUSE I DO. I FREE RANGE MY BIRD ALMOST EVERY DAY IN MY 1/2 ACRE YARD AND THEY GET SOOO DIRTY AND THEIR FOOT FEATHERING LOOKS HORRIBLE. MY DD WILL BE SHOWING HER WHITE SILKIES IN 4H AND THEM ROLLING IN MY FLOWER BEDS STAINS THEM PRETTY GOOD. THEY WILL NOT LIVE IN THESE CAGES ALL THE TIME JUST WHEN THERE IS A FEW SHOWS FAIRLY CLOSE TOGETHER OR IF I WANT TO BREED A CERTAIN HEN AND ROO, ETC. BUT I AM ALSO ALLOWING MORE THAN THE RECOMMENDED 4 SQ FT PER BIRD SO IF THEY DO NEED TO STAY IN HERE FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME THEY CAN! I MAY ALSO USE THEM FOR QUARANTINE AFTER A SHOW OR FOR A TIME OUT PEN FOR A BAD HEN! THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!

 

[wolftracks]

Maybe you should build those here and I'll try them out for you.

 

[LeasureChix]

Absolutely love your plan! I need to do the same thing but DH is really busy so I'm looking at alternatives. Also, I don't have a barn to put them in and my garage still hasn't recovered from all the dust generated by our spring hatch. I'd love to know what other people do for confinement for feather footed cuties. I have a few big galvanized water troughs.....

 

[sutillman]

The only thing I would do different and I'm speaking from experience, is put hardware cloth bottoms on each pen with a tray underneath to catch the poo. Unless you are changing pine shavings every other day, it has no where to go and will pile up in a hurry. With the wire bottoms the poo falls through and you just have to take out the worst and add more pine shavings. I change mine out at least once a month, and I clean the pans every week or more if needed. Had some with wood floors in the beginning and once it dries it's like concrete to get off!

 

[2hot2chicken]

Quote:
I thought of the poo problem to, but I have it easy! DH works for a landscape supply company and can get free fir shavings spring through fall and for the winter I have a supplier of pine shavings. When I fill my 2 rubbermaid trash cans up with dirty shavings he simply brings em to work and dumps em for free. I don't mind changing the cages and figured I would spot clean at leased once a day when I feed as I do now for my coop. They will also be located next to my garage under a covered area that goes from my back porch around the house and the garage. So close for easy access and thus I will have no excuss for them to not be clean.

I keep silkies and so I have heard that wire bottoms are hard on their feet feathering. This is why I am doing this anyway. My birds have all been free ranging and with the winter mud and sand run their feet look pretty bad.

Any other ideas???? All ideas appreciated!!!!