Backyard Poultry Forum

Thought I would share with you some of my chook and garden stuff, but first a quick background. Mr sue55 and I both went to Uni in the 70's. He studied Engineering whilst I did Environmental Science. To my Graanfather, I was "That Damned Hippy" and he was "A Long Haired Lout" - until he joined the Airforce, had a haircut and became "A Nice Young Fella"
Fast foward 40 years.
15 years ago we purchased a small rural property outside the ACT and began our 'Chook Journey'
When I want something for our place I like to repurpose. Mr sue 55 cringes when I come home with something 'with a history'. When I plan something I measure in steps and say "about there". He wants tech drawings and measures with 'instruments'. If a row of screws has to go in, first a line is ruled and spacing is measured and marked. The result is that (most) of my projects get done properly (although slowly).
The first pens were built around swing A frames but proved dark and difficult to move about in.




So we bumped out the back



Added verandahs for afternoon shade and windows for ventilation



And installed nest boxes



Then there was a problem with the Currawongs taking the eggs so 'Chook Flaps were installed





There are 3 suites with 'Interconnecting Doors' so that space can be re arranged as needed.



The lessons that we learned from this:-
These pens were convenient whilst we were living in the shed (they were only going to be temporary) but are now really too far from the house.
The runs were built on a slope with the pens at the lower end so drainage is a problem in wet weather.
Orientation - Although the shade is good, the lack of early morning sunlight may affect the laying season.

More to follow

Love it Sue! recycling is my favourite way of building a chook pen.

Broody pen made from pallets. It has since had an extension added.

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Erika

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Erika

Thank you RJ this is the stuff that I'm hoping to see.

Sue

This one was made from a really uncomfortable futon sofa bed and other stuff from behind the shed

Note the disgusting broody poop centre of the shot

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Erika

Gotta luv 'behind th'shed'!

I love visiting other folk and poking around behind their sheds too! You find some really good stuff for free as it saves them a trip to the tip.

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Erika

2 of my coops are trampoline frames! Don't have photos on my phone though.

At least she was eating!



I haven't had any success at this kind of stuff. I tried to break down some pallets to use the wood and of course the fasteners were stronger, so the wood just split and broke. Now I have neither a usable pallet, nor usable wood from one <sigh>

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Merrifeathers Orpingtons

ONLY a chook person would make that sort of observation

So true Sue!

Smallflock, trying to break up the pallets is too hard. I just used them whole for the floor and walls.

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Erika

Well I'll just take copious notes from other people's cleverness [being a not-so-creative accountant type]

By the way Sue ... what a beaut way to use old toilet seats!

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Merrifeathers Orpingtons

Love this thread... In my mind's eye, I only ever see brand new shiny things as being of any use and then I see these things and not only are they workable and cheap, they're often better than starting from scratch with new everything!

Linz

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[i]A lot of Andalusians. Anconas in Standard and Bantam PB Black Leghorns in Standard
and Bantam, Derbyshire Redcaps, Light Sussex Bantams.[/i]
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The evolutionary approach to pen construction worked well until I started breeding more seriously and need more facilities. That was when I found my first UTE CANOPY



This collection uses old double bed frames under the gal.clad walls (most of the gal is seconds used as cover sheets when we built the new shed). The open mesh fronts are constructed from futon frames from the tip shop. Glass (windows and shower screens are used for the roof. Shade mesh on single bed frames provide additional Summer shade. The orientation maximises morning sunlight and my laying season begins earlier in these pens than in the original, darker ones.



It is surprisingly warm in the perching area, even on cold Canberra Winter nights. In the warmer weather, the side windows are opened a little to provide an air flow
Wooden curtain rods work as perches and the thinner ones are slowly being replaced by larger diameter for the bigger birds.


Toilet cisterns work well for water .




They are plumbed to the rain water tank and have an exit pipe to drain the water away from the pen.



I use treadle feeders to reduce waste and discourage rodents. Mr sue55 (jnr)has constructed chimneys so that they hold a full bag of feed.



There is external access at the rear of the pen for collecting eggs from the rollaway nest boxes

roll

They look fantastic Sue! Ute canopies, got to find me some of them.

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Erika