Tact Room

[TheChickenCoop]

So I'm really new to this and am in need of help!! I have 4 chickens that are about 4 months old and I really need to get this chicken coop together so these baby lay me some tasty eggs. Also my children are very interested and involved and mom has no idea where to begin. I have posted a picture of the coop which is the horse tact room. (we have no horses) Just 4 chickens and a pigmy goat.I have no clue if I have started off right or what to do next. Do chickens have to have access to outside? (I know silly questions which thanks to this site I'm on my way to learning) There is a 13 ft window in the tact room which is about 5 to 6 ft off the ground on the outside and about 4ft high on the inside.Can the chickens walk down a run that high if I build one going to outside. I plan to fully engage them so they are not exposed to other wild animals. I have several wild cats also that hang around the barn. Right now the whole floor is covered with straw. Which I'd like to be able to walk into the tact room and not be steping on their living space. I have placed a piece of wood on top of the saddle holders to make a flat surface and place straw on that . Here is a picture any ideas will be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[cr8z4chicks]

Wow, that's a lot of hay, is it for the chickens or the goat? The chickens will need small nesting boxes to lay eggs in and a bar to roost on. Sasafrass trunks make good roosting bars, and help keep mites away. Also ramps are fine for them to go in and out. Good luck!

 

[TheChickenCoop]

That is soley for the chickens!! haha oh wow I have a long way to go huh!!! So should take the board off and make them rooting bars? Its not too high? Should I make take the board off and build a couple nesting boxes in between the bars lower than the roosting bars?

 

[cr8z4chicks]

Hmmm, its hard to tell from the picture, I think it might look a little high. You could put the nesting boxes on one side and the roosting bar on the other. As long as the nesting boxes you build have covers, I guess it would be ok to put them under the roosting bar. You would want them covered so if there is a chicken roosting it doesn't poop on one that might be in the nesting box.

 

[furbabymum]

I turned out tack room into the chicken coop as seen here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/670605/our-barns-3rd-life-pics
For some reason that didn't hyper link.

 

[furbabymum]

And it did hyper link. UGH!

 

[fried green eggs]

I visit Reuse stores and picked up cheap plastic covered cat litter boxes that work great as nesting boxes with some straw in them. My hens love them and 11 hens use one box.

 

[3forfree]

If it were my tack room I would put up a wall half way through it with an access door so I could have a storage space for myself, and get in and clean, and feed, put a pop door on the far wall where the window is so they could go outside into an enclosed safe fun, (keeping the cats and other critters out). That would make a nice coop. good luck, keep the pics coming.

You could take the saddle holders down and use that wood for the partition, or make roosts and nest boxes.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

This is a brilliant idea! I must add a tact room to all of my poultry houses. Heretofore my chickens have been completely tactless. Now perhaps they'll be better mannered!

 

[countrybuffs]

This is a brilliant idea! I must add a tact room to all of my poultry houses. Heretofore my chickens have been completely tactless. Now perhaps they'll be better mannered!