Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Goldie]

Hi all - We currently keep 4 hens in a small-ish wooden coop. There are 2 nestboxes, 2 perches (all 4 hens share 1 perch though), and a ramp down to a run. It works well for us, with a slidey door to shut at night. We have cut a hole in the run's mesh and given them a large 30ft area to come and go as they please in the day time.

 

I have the opportunity to move them into a shed, 8' x 6'. Just wondering how it would work, logistically. Has anyone ever converted a shed for hens? I'd like to keep the 30ft area to come and go as they please...do I make a 'pop-hole' in the shed walls? I'm wondering if this would stop it being vermin proof?

 

What about perches, I quite like the idea of having a few at different heights in a corner, how high can these be and do the lower birds end up being poo'd on?!

 

How do I construct the nest boxes and access to them??

 

Any pictures or ideas people have will be greatly received. Unless I should just keep them as they are..is it a bit of a faff when they only spend their night times in there anyway??

 

Thanks, Goldie

[Grandmashazzie]

My thoughts are if you have small no of hens I would keep things as they are esp as they are content.I had fleetingly thought of converting my shed but thought it would be a large area to pooh pick and keep clean.As to poohing on others my OH made a little stand looks like a wooden towel rail and there are diff levels and hens sit on diff rail since we have had it I've never seen a poohed on hen.They must have a secret signal

[jennie186]

Hi. It sounds like you have a good set up at the moment. They have plenty of space to sleep and a nice big area for the day.

 

I have 2 big chickens in a eglu classic with standard run. Since Christmas we have been converting the wendy house by attaching a covered walk in run to the back of the house and cutting and a pop hole into the run. I am planning to put the eglu in the wendy house at first as they are used to sleeping in the eglu. I will put a low shelf or something in there eventually and a nest box if they decide to sleep in the wendy house and not the eglu. I am painting the inside tomorrow and I will put straw or similar on floor. (Its not a big space maybe 2m x 1m)

 

Today I cut the hole through to the WIR and painted the wendy house cream wood preserver. I also put sand down on the base of the WIR which Ive already covered with a membrane and mesh. I will top this off with aubiose tomorrow.

It will give them some more space and keep them dry. They only free range for an hour each day when I get home from work. The WIR is 2m x 2m and I would like to get a third chicken but worried about introductions.

 

It has been a lot of work so far and costs have added up! I will post a picture when finished - hopefully they will move in next week. I hope they like it