Sooo much pooping

[Chucky1]

Hi everyone. I'd appreciate your input before I make some mistakes. I have a 12'x9' concrete block shed that I want to turn into an additional hen house.

 

I am intending laying a concrete floor. I am thinking that my new girls would appreciate it being insulated underneath. Am I right or will they not really care?

 

The perches, How high and how big? I read somewhere that about 18" off the floor and made out of 2"x2" rounded off afterwards. This seems quite chunky to me. We have all Gingernuts at the moment and I do like their characters, so we'll probably stick with them .

 

The nestbox - should this be at the same height as the perches or sitting on the floor?

 

Thanks for your thoughts

[Jools]

Don't worry about insulating the floor, just make sure it's nice and easy to clean! Any bedding you put down will provide plenty of insulation for them anyway.

 

The nest boxes need to be lower than the perches to stop them sleeping in them. Slightly raised would be better than on the floor and they like privacy so not facing the door.

 

The perches you've described sound perfect and I think the timber most often used is called "CLS" (whatever that means!!).

[Chucky1]

Jools thanks for coming back so quick.

 

Good advice thank you

 

 

I Googled CLS:

 

Definition for CLS in Timber sizes

 

"Timber known as CLS or ALS (Canadian/American Lumber Sizes) is surfaced on all four sides and has rounded arrises. It is produced in a limited range of sizes and is widely used in the timber frame industry. It originated in North America but is now widely produced in Europe and in the UK." - www.trada.co.uk