Rural Gardening: Hen Havens, Poopy Drawers, and other non-essentials, 1 by TamaraFaye

TamaraFaye wrote:
DH's current building project [so glad i finally caught up!]

the north chicken pen. mostly for the black chickens, Jersey Giants, Black Australorps, and Bantam Cochins. will be about 450 square feet. then there will be a small chicken door going in through the cinderblock, with a hen house that i can walk into from the inside... about half the size of the current hen house.

we are using approx the same idea as the first [south] pen. we didn't sink the fence as deep since it will be surrounded by breeding pens, a raised garden bed, and a brooder/greenhouse... eight foot 4x4 posts, 1" chicken wire, covered with heavy concrete fencing wire. a wire or mesh plastic roof [i would prefer a shade cloth]

the black chickens need extra shade all year, and Jaco isn't allowed out, he wants to boss my Buckeyes! but the hens will get to free range except during breeding season.

you can see the old goat barn and the new goat in the background. when this is finished, three pens like the ones featured above will be built on the east side. raised garden on the west for shading vines, gorund covers, etc. and maybe this fall we can start on the greenhouse that will be to the north. that will give a good windbreak, plus have a roof angled to the south for good lighting and solar heat inside...

doesn't look like much now, but...