Hmmm....guess I am a late night lurker....then I've always been a night owl, that is the nice thing about being retired...I only have to get up in time to let the gang out at 8am.
Thought I would post some pics of our changing hen house.
These were some of the original nest boxes. The shelf over them...bad idea!
Our girls first roost...when we only had 12 hens.
Repurposed bookcase. Worked ok but they slept on top or on the rail and pooped in the boxes. UGH!
This is the newest nest box setup...no flat surface above. Still need to move the brooder cage underneath...it's still a target.
New roosting rails...room enough for the new kids to have their own space
New grown out pen which will become the brooder pen as soon as these guys move out
Won't be long, they were hatched the first week of May.
This is the box that TSC sells for $20...it is the bomb! I see us eventually going to all these. I think it was Clovis that uses these. Had 3 eggs in it the first day it was up, girls love it.
Can only get 1 or 2 a month but by the time our 3 month old girls are ready for them we should have more of these up. Probably will put another row under
these all on one wall. By then we should have about 22 layers.
Like Starfire...we use pine chips and leaves for the floor which has a dirt base. When it flooded last month we had to use pine bark mulch cause everyone was out of shavings. It worked ok in a pinch and is still on the floor but not absorbent enough. We use mostly pine shavings until fall when more leaves will be available.
The nest bedding is hay. Not able to find any straw in my area.
We also put all the lawn clippings in their yard. Used shavings and old hay will go into the garden to keep the weeds down.
Maybe this eill help some of you folks with ideas who were asking about different nest boxes.
Anyway...it started raining here about midnight...just nice gentle rain.
Those of you under bad weather threat...stay safe and dry and I pray no damage to anyone.
It's 2:30 in the morning..this ole hen needs to hit the hay. Take care
Thought I would post some pics of our changing hen house.
These were some of the original nest boxes. The shelf over them...bad idea!
Our girls first roost...when we only had 12 hens.
Repurposed bookcase. Worked ok but they slept on top or on the rail and pooped in the boxes. UGH!
This is the newest nest box setup...no flat surface above. Still need to move the brooder cage underneath...it's still a target.
New roosting rails...room enough for the new kids to have their own space
New grown out pen which will become the brooder pen as soon as these guys move out
Won't be long, they were hatched the first week of May.
This is the box that TSC sells for $20...it is the bomb! I see us eventually going to all these. I think it was Clovis that uses these. Had 3 eggs in it the first day it was up, girls love it.
Can only get 1 or 2 a month but by the time our 3 month old girls are ready for them we should have more of these up. Probably will put another row under
these all on one wall. By then we should have about 22 layers.
Like Starfire...we use pine chips and leaves for the floor which has a dirt base. When it flooded last month we had to use pine bark mulch cause everyone was out of shavings. It worked ok in a pinch and is still on the floor but not absorbent enough. We use mostly pine shavings until fall when more leaves will be available.
The nest bedding is hay. Not able to find any straw in my area.
We also put all the lawn clippings in their yard. Used shavings and old hay will go into the garden to keep the weeds down.
Maybe this eill help some of you folks with ideas who were asking about different nest boxes.
Anyway...it started raining here about midnight...just nice gentle rain.
Those of you under bad weather threat...stay safe and dry and I pray no damage to anyone.
It's 2:30 in the morning..this ole hen needs to hit the hay. Take care
