Solitary chicken - need advice

[bokbokbok]

We have returned from a short break away and launched ourselves in to building our 6x4 shed this weekend for the girls (for when I get them).

 

The shed is now erected and once I stain the back of it, it will be slid in to place and we will start kitting it out with a nest box and roosting bars.

 

As you approach it the shed is 6' wide with the doors on that side - it is 4' deep and the pophole will be on the 4' side.

 

I had great plans and ideas as to how to build the inside but now I see it in real life I am having second thoughts - is there anyone out there who would like to have a little input to this project?

 

After reading a recent thread about the Omlet roosting bars I was actually thinking about getting them and making use of their non-stickyness rather than starting off with wood batons and changing later on - is this a good idea? How long does it take for them to arrive?

 

Anyone have any advice for setting up a shed?

[debbie26pet]

i have a shed to but the way i have it im not to over happy, id liek to see other examples of shed set ups, esp the bars of omlet site the plastic ones and see how i can fit them in

[abwsco]

Do you want me to take pics of the inside of mine? Need to poo pick it first though -lol

[mrsm_jones]

I'd like to see the inside of your shed! I've just converted a kids wendy house, but it's not finished yet. Need ideas

[debbie26pet]

Do you want me to take pics of the inside of mine? Need to poo pick it first though -lol

 

oh that would be fab, also see u in lancs are u close to blackburn?

[alexgirl73]

oooh, ideas!! I have made my 6x4 shed in to a coop for my girls as well. I await excitedly some inspiration lol.

[abwsco]

Ok- off to poo pick

 

I WILL be back -lol

[abwsco]

Well they're not very exciting but here they are.

 

 

 

and one of the pop hole thrown in for good measure.

 

 

BTW the white powder all over the place is red mite powder In hindsight I think we'd put the nestboxes down lower and also not bother with dividers. I also didn't want a droppings board so just bought cheap seed trays from B & Q and put those underneath the perch. Hope these are oif some help.

 

Debbie, I'm on the Fylde Coast nearish to Blackpool

[bokbokbok]

Oh thank you abwsco - your photos are most splendiferous.

 

I have just been out painting the shed, it came a golden oak colour but needed another coat. The rear of it is up against a fence and wont ever be seen so I was happy to use up some left over dark oak with the intention of heading to B&Q tomorrow to get some more golden oak. But then it hit me - this is supposed a recycling project so now the whole thing is the dark oak and I am actually mighty happy with it.

 

Just need to tidy up the drills etc and when the paint is dry we will slide the shed in to place and I will be ready to take on some of your ideas. . . .

 

Here is what I had thought of already - it is a bit strange to look at at first glance. I had the idea that most chickens don't have a 6x4 shed - most coops are a lot smaller than that so I was going to divide them and their storage up in the one space. have an upstairs / downstairs thing.

 

If they can climb the ladder to bed every night it will work ok - what do you think? Remember the shed is 3D not 2D - so there is a lot more space in there than it looks here:

 

Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch

 

@abwsco: Do you think there is a lot of *wasted space* above them - do you think my idea of raising them off the floor would work?

 

Also - forgive me for not going and looking up your details - how many girls do you have there? I had it in my head I would only need one nest box for 3/4 girls going on the Eglu set up - would you recommend more?

 

I kinda want to keep the nest box on the left hand side and want to only open the left hand door on a daily basis.

 

Has anyone an opinion on my idea of ordering the Cube roosting bars?

[debbie26pet]

grt pics can i ask why would u not put the sections in, we been thinking adding them, got one with one in and seem to lay better esp with a broody in the other,

here are pics of mine and would love ideas on it

 

[alexgirl73]

Debbie, your shed is identical to mine in size and shape

 

here is a few pics of mine. It will be changed a little when we come back from our holidays. OH is going to make a roll away nest box as we have an egg eater and has bought some dowling rods for extra perches. He finished the run today, except for one of the doors which needs to be hinged when we come back. My girls are living in style compared to what they came to us with

 

 

 

 

 

 

[debbie26pet]

we have bought soem roll aways to but cant work them out, we seem to be ok at them eating eggs, just odd soft one were they eat them. odd one that been laid in garden they will get but they never attack any in the nests. but i wanted to put them in then i know my eggs safe

but i need to wrok out this shed and weres best i liek the table idea though does it make it dark?

[abwsco]

Oh thank you abwsco - your photos are most splendiferous.

 

I have just been out painting the shed, it came a golden oak colour but needed another coat. The rear of it is up against a fence and wont ever be seen so I was happy to use up some left over dark oak with the intention of heading to B&Q tomorrow to get some more golden oak. But then it hit me - this is supposed a recycling project so now the whole thing is the dark oak and I am actually mighty happy with it.

 

Just need to tidy up the drills etc and when the paint is dry we will slide the shed in to place and I will be ready to take on some of your ideas. . . .

 

Here is what I had thought of already - it is a bit strange to look at at first glance. I had the idea that most chickens don't have a 6x4 shed - most coops are a lot smaller than that so I was going to divide them and their storage up in the one space. have an upstairs / downstairs thing.

 

If they can climb the ladder to bed every night it will work ok - what do you think? Remember the shed is 3D not 2D - so there is a lot more space in there than it looks here:

 

Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch

 

@abwsco: Do you think there is a lot of *wasted space* above them - do you think my idea of raising them off the floor would work?

 

Also - forgive me for not going and looking up your details - how many girls do you have there? I had it in my head I would only need one nest box for 3/4 girls going on the Eglu set up - would you recommend more?

 

I kinda want to keep the nest box on the left hand side and want to only open the left hand door on a daily basis.

 

Has anyone an opinion on my idea of ordering the Cube roosting bars?

 

anydanger, you're idea of splitting the shed off into two so you've a storage area sounds great. I can't believe how much space all the girls stuff is taking up in our garage!

 

We've 8 girls now - 6 ex batts and 2 "posh" ones. Our two smallest ex batts sleep on the floor even though hubby made them a ladder to the perch and another one sometimes sleeps in a nestbox depending on what mood she is in I think

 

Mine won't share a nest box and my cream legbar will just lay anywhere if she needs to lay and her favourite box is occupied, so possibly two would be better.

 

I'd also say make sure it's easy to clean out. As mine is full height I can stand upright in it and it only takes 10 minutes to sweep it all out and put fresh in without breaking my back.

 

I wanted a nice and bright coloured coop but we to used up leftovers hence the "cackky" brwon-lol

 

Don't forget to post pictures when it's all finished and I hope my ramblings have helped

[abwsco]

Debbie, I only thought about not doing sections in the nestboxes as they all seem to want to lay in the same one -lol

[bokbokbok]

Anne, Thanks for all that - I'll take that on board then about the 2 boxes - there is no reason I can't do more of course but there is nothing to say I can't add as time goes on.

 

I was thinking of putting an off cut of lino on the floor to help it all brush up easily - is there any reason I shouldn't do that? Will they eat the lino?

[abwsco]

Alex, I like your idea of a table for the water

[alexgirl73]

we have bought soem roll aways to but cant work them out, we seem to be ok at them eating eggs, just odd soft one were they eat them. odd one that been laid in garden they will get but they never attack any in the nests. but i wanted to put them in then i know my eggs safe

but i need to wrok out this shed and weres best i liek the table idea though does it make it dark?

 

if you put the nesting box under it yes. I just put it in to try and give them extra spaces and variety. It's great for hanging treats on as yuo can see and brill for the water. Stop s it getting clogged with dirt or sawdust I have their food bowls in there too as it makes them use the space more as well as their run.

[abwsco]

Anne, Thanks for all that - I'll take that on board then about the 2 boxes - there is no reason I can't do more of course but there is nothing to say I can't add as time goes on.

 

I was thinking of putting an off cut of lino on the floor to help it all brush up easily - is there any reason I shouldn't do that? Will they eat the lino?

 

A friend has a shower curtain on the bottom of hers so I'm sure lino would be fine Mine is straight down onto concrete so I haven't bothered.

[alexgirl73]

I bought 5 packets of those stick on floor tiles from poundland and put them down on my shed floor. Makes cleaning sooooo much easier

[bokbokbok]

Yay - lots of ideas here then

 

The shed is all painted now and tomorrow I am picking up off-cuts of wood from work so hope to get a couple of bits done tomorrow night again.

 

S'exciting huh?

[Abbey Road Girl]

Re using lino: When I got my Cube I put an off-cut of lino in the run as an experiment (the run was on soil). It was, sadly, at the worst and best, a nuisance. Served no real useful purpose.

 

I do, however, think that it is very useful in the Cube's nest box. I had originally put duct tape over the drain hole so as to prevent the aubiose bedding from leaking out. This was not terribly successful as it seemed to get pulled away, possibly from hens finding something to do other than biting their fingernails whilst laying.

 

But I did cut a piece to fit in the nesting box which is easy to remove for cleaning, an improvement on the duct tape.

 

Weirdly, my hens have never pooed in the nest box since they started laying in April, so the lino (though easy to clean) has never really been properly tested.

[bokbokbok]

Sue, I am thinking of lino for the floor of the shed - that would work ok?

[Abbey Road Girl]

I think that lino would work really great on top of any completely slabbed or wooden surface, making it very easy to clean.

 

A layer of aubiose or hemcore on top and it would be chook and chookkeeper heaven.

[stoice]

I have lino in my shed (Cost about £12 for an off-cut), made my shed look so palatial! It's much easier to clean than slatted wooden floor. My girls live in the space below a slatted shelf that was already in the shed. We just added a pophole and some cupboard doors made from off cuts. I have two nest boxes (Made from wooden beer boxes) turned on their side. Although they only use one and sleep ontop of the other but then it is higher than the perch i have set diagonally along the width of the shed space. The top of the shelf is for chickeny storage and then i can still use the rest of the shed (Have quite a small garden)

 

Have drawn a plan of it as I'm at work (Shhh, we're quiet at the mo) and haven't taken a picture of it yet...