Rural Gardening: Hen Havens, Poopy Drawers, and other non-essentials, 0 by TamaraFaye

TamaraFaye wrote:
so glad you all are enjoying it. i was beginning to think maybe it was turning into a brag thread.... truly is un-believable to me what can be done with the rigth tools and a little planning. a friend that stopped by yesterday called them chicken townhouses, but i wouldn't go that far LOL. i have seen some REALLY nice stuff other DGers have made to keep their chickens comfy. it's been inspiring, to say the least...

that shade cloth is really helpful. we got a 65% shade mesh cloth, wind proof, with grommets and all. but it was 8x10, and pens 3,4,&5 are about 14 across the top, plus two four foot sides....

well, he doubled it at the front, which means it is TOTAL shade there [chicks are NOT complianing!]. and i had a 100 foot roll of black weed barrier that i had not used yet. so he cut that to fit the sides, and took it up on the top at one end. so pen #3 has got almost TOTAL shade.

of course, once summer is over, we will have to re-figure a few things. sun will be important to have then. but till he gets the shelters built to put inside, this will work great. also, we aren't sure ho it will do in heavy rain or snow. we are really in a drought, but now and then it comes down hard...

now, i don't recommend using the weed barrier for shade clothe entirely, esp i a small coop. it's not breathable like mesh shade cloth, and doesn't let ANY sun in... but it worked in a pinch, was freed, and is easily replaced. he just cut down strips from scarp wood and fastened it down over the chicken wire...

here it is on the last part. he already has the shade cloth down with stirps over it