Starting New, Larger Pen (Almost finished! Progress Pics ADDED)

[speckledhen]

Henry, do you mean the shelf I built in Suede's coop? I dont mix it in. I use a kitty litter scoop and remove the previous night's piles. Some of it that stays on the shelf will fall through the plastic garden fencing that makes the shelf if I just hit the surface--it sort of falls apart and vibrates through the openings. What I dont scoop, I just stir around with the scoop or my little metal rake.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

I bet your girls really get a kick out of scratching around in those big piles of leaves; it's probably juicy bug heaven in summer!

I was going to say I really like the roosts you have out in the run. It looks like something else to keep them busy. Do they ever choose to roost outside at night, or do they all go inside the coop when it gets dark?

 

[speckledhen]

They all go in at night. No one even tries to roost outside.

 

[gapeachy]

you really do live in those north ga mountains...I love the mountains....I bet it is cooler there for the chickens also.....you have a big area for them and your pens.....I have not heard of stringing up cd's to keep hawks away....we have hawks here really bad they have nest on our land.....we watch them from the porch swoop down to attack our chickens......they will pick our baby chicks off one by one so we have to keep them up...we are on a hill and we have muddy and drainage problems too my dh built his goat barn on the top of the hill so we wont have mudd.....I have been trying to get him to give me some area of the barn for some chickens but he wont..

 

[hcammack]

Quote:
That acutually sounds really good I will start doing that after I clean up next week!

 

[riley]

vary beautiful place

 

[speckledhen]

We finished about 65 ft (one entire side) of the new pen, came in for lunch, then it started sprinkling rain. Sure hope it stops-we cant get anything done for all the rain these days!

Still need to come from that corner, across to the side of the coop and figure out the gate. The other side is much shorter and there will be a gate in that location, too. That side will attach to one back corner of the little covered Firetower coop pen. I'll get pics later to show better what I'm talking about..if it stops raining!


Thank you, riley! We like it. I know it's a challenge always building on sloping land, but I really dont like huge expanses of really flat land. I just think the mountains are more visually appealing.


EDITED to correct measurement of completed side.

 

[hcammack]

I wish my place were more forested it gives the birds better places to hide from hawks which frequent my area! Also it seems like your girls get a great variety of forage although not much grass which is fine because there would be none left any way

I love your place!

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you, Henry! There used to be grass. If I can keep them in their new pen, there will be again, too. If they only get out to roam on occasion, after the grass is established, that is, then they're not likely to eat it down to bare ground again. They do find so many beetles and grubs in these old rotting stumps, etc. And when I yanked up a root from the ground yesterday, a frog flipped out of the hole he was hibernating in, poor thing. I found him another hidden place and put him in it. Later I went back and he had hunkered down inside, with only his eye showing. Hope the girls dont find him!

 

[hcammack]

Quote:
Ahh I know my girls love the small pine forest and my moms plantings

they found a mouse the other day it was interesting and they also seem to have an on going war with the squirrels the big girls win but the little girls can't seem to get a break ecept when silkie decides she has had enough of the other furry creatures invading her space

The whole thing is pretty entertaining the only problems have been hawks and neighbors dogs so far. I may build a big pen got to go talk to my mom about it I am simplifing systems before I leave at the end of the month.