DH is home today b/c of snow so I had some actual free time to take pictures of things
So, if anyone is interested, here is the nice little combo unit my chickens currently have. It was knocked sloppily together from a $3 thrift store end table plus some scraps of wood lying around. I like it
The table is the super cheapo kind made of chipboard covered in that plasticky stuff, so poo scrapes off easily and you can wipe it down with a damp cloth if any starts to stick. I sprinkle shavings on it to make cleanup even easier.
It works really well for me, and might be something to consider if you have just a few chickens, or even for a breeder pen. Note that it could easily be wall-mounted, on heavy-duty shelf supports, if you made it yourself using plywood instead of my heavy chipboard table (with vinyl on top for easy cleanup) -- that would save floor space in a small coop.
Since this version sits on the floor, tho, I have left it bottomless, which makes it extremely easy to clean old soiled bedding out of the nestbox - just pick the whole thing up, shove the yucky bedding to the side with your foot, put it back down and fluff clean bedding into it. I made it that way b/c I was too lazy to put a floor on
but it turns out to be a good design feature.
Cheers,
Pat
The table is the super cheapo kind made of chipboard covered in that plasticky stuff, so poo scrapes off easily and you can wipe it down with a damp cloth if any starts to stick. I sprinkle shavings on it to make cleanup even easier.
It works really well for me, and might be something to consider if you have just a few chickens, or even for a breeder pen. Note that it could easily be wall-mounted, on heavy-duty shelf supports, if you made it yourself using plywood instead of my heavy chipboard table (with vinyl on top for easy cleanup) -- that would save floor space in a small coop.
Since this version sits on the floor, tho, I have left it bottomless, which makes it extremely easy to clean old soiled bedding out of the nestbox - just pick the whole thing up, shove the yucky bedding to the side with your foot, put it back down and fluff clean bedding into it. I made it that way b/c I was too lazy to put a floor on
Cheers,
Pat
