Revamping the old henhouse

[superlukee]

Do you have a automatic chicken door? Or do you go every morning and night ?

 

[Penlady66]

I go up every morning and evening to open and close the door.

 

[superlukee]

What color are you gonna paint the hen house? Also, does it have to be a chicken friendly paint (if there is such a thing). Maybe I could paint mine lol

 

[Penlady66]

I am probably going to paint it the cream color that it already is, just freshen it up. I may had a little brown trim around the windows. I don't know what a chicken safe paint would be, but I think what is on it is just an exterior house paint. I will most likely paint it while they are inside. It shouldn't take long to dry where it will not hurt them.

I read earlier where you mentioned keeping the hen house locked when they are in, the door is shut and latched, to things can not get into them. We don't have a lot of predator problems here, really. I have a motion light on the hen house that comes on when something is out there, and it usually scares things off. One time we did have an opossum in the hen house, but it got in before we closed the door that night. It was looking for eggs. My husband found it hiding under the nest boxes and got rid of it. It never bothered the hens, or we got there in time to keep it from bothering them. With our dogs around, most critters stay away.

 

[Penlady66]

As I posted in another post, I took the first step into the renno of my coop. I bought these nest boxes:



I am excited because the will take up less space then my others, and I think should be easier to clean since the birds can't get on top of them. My next step it so build the partitions inside for the new chicks so I can transition them into the flock. I am going to make it a temporary thing that I can take down and re purpose for something else (a run for a second coop... for some bantams when I can get some.... lol). The new next boxes will be here on Thursday, and I hope to install them Friday after work. I am so excited!!! I was going to try to order a few more chicks and make my total 20, but I think I will stop at the 16 and go with the second coop and run for bantam. I am wanting a small flock of d'Uccles.