AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Hi all

I'm a first time poster and soon to be a first time chook owner. Please be gentle

I have knocked up a chook shed and run and have attached some photos. About to buy some chooks (probably 3 iso browns) and would welcome any feedback on the 'design'.

I live in suburban Adelaide, where it can get down to 2 or 3 degrees on a really cold winter morning.

As you can see I've re-used my kid's old plastic cubby house, sat on top of a bunch of old bricks. I also used bricks at the bottom of the fence to try to deter rats and mice. (The previous owner of the house left behind _many_ old loose bricks!). I built a nesting box on the side and a single perch across the width.

I plan on permanently closing the side window (at least during winter) but leaving the front door open day and night.

My main questions are:
- Do I need a roof over it? There is a rail line about 800m away and I understand these may bring foxes?
- Does it look too cold and drafty? If so what should I line it with? Or should I create a smaller door for the chooks?
- What material should I put on the floor?

Any other constructive comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Marty

I love it

My hubby is currently building my chook coop and like you I have been asking questions too. I love the way you used the kids cubby house you will need some nest boxes and the one thing I was told was not to put them on the ground? they said to put them on a couple of bricks. I bet you can't wait to get some girls in there now

it looks good

Thats a really good start but I did think of a couple of things.

I'm concerned there is no protection from anything over head. Rain during winter and sun through summer. If you have a couple of rainy days in a row there is nowhere for the chooks to hang. I would suggest covering half the run to provide shade and give you extra area to keep their food and shellgrit out of the weather and might give you an extra area for nestboxes. It might also stop rain getting inside the cubby and may also offer some wind protection.

I think you need something inside the cubby for added warmth and to stop poo getting stuck through your bricks.
Its amazing how much poo can be generated overnight!. Maybe you could put a mini tarp in there with shavings on top which should make it easier to lift it all out to clean? This would also provide a bit of warmth from the cold bricks. Woodshavings don't do well getting wet though. If you find this is a problem possibly you could try sand. You'lalso need something across the front to stop whatever you use falling out.

I'm not sure your perch is wide enough too. I can't think off the top of my head how wide it should be, do you know how to use the 'search' funtion on here to find out? Its surprisingly wide.

Yes you'll definitely need nestboxes for them to lay their eggs, they like being somewhere cosy and dark. A largish cardboard box on its side, or a lawnmower catcher works fine (with straw, hay, woodshavings etc inside it). If you have three chooks you might get away with one, but if you have two that would be better.

Good luck, its really exciting getting your first chooks. Prepare to waste lots of time just watching them!

Edited to say I think thats a nestbox off the side of the cubby?? I'm not sure a grown chook would fit in there, do you have something to put beside it to guage the size? Is there a way for the chook to get in to it? Have you thought about having this poking out the side of the run so you don' t have to go in to collect the eggs every day?

Thanks everyone for your replies. Sorry for the delay in responding - I had problems logging in.

The green and red box poking out the side of the cubby is a nesting box. Its about 25cm wide, 30cm deep and 30cm high. They get into it from inside teh cubby. It has a hinged roof so I can get the eggs from the outside. I hope its big enough.

I put a layer of sand over the bricks and into the cracks between the bricks and then a layer of straw. Also added straw to the nesting box.

I have taped the side window shut and boarded up part of the front window and am locking them into the cubby at night, for their safety and warmth.

I put their feeder and water dispensor inside the cubby out of the weather.

The perch runs across the width of the cubby and is about 60cm wide. After a bit of fun and games on the first night (they slept on top of the fence!) they are now sleeping on it.

I've added another couple of photos which describes the above. One of the photos includes a four year old to provide an indication of scale.

Roova, I'll take onboard your advice about some extra protection and some extra warmth.

I did almost the same run as you, the plastic cubbies are great the only difference I elevated mine and use a ladder for the chooks to go in and out. Looks good by the way

I also think it look great
Well done

It looks good, I would be concerned about foxes though, they can and will dig under fences and into coops. My coop is bolted to a concrete slab 1.5m x 1.5m to make cleaning easy and to stop foxes digging under and in. My chooks are free to roam the yard during the day and my dog keeps an eye on them too. Good luck with your new chooks they are so much fun.

you seem to have done eveything by the book { though dont be afraid to add or delete from said book } as the only way to learn other than ask an listen is to try an do , hoping we dont make mistakes along the way , that im sure at some time we all have . Ps glad you could join our happy family enjoy cheers n beers gary

I burried wire down in the ground to stop foxes so maybe that's the only suggestion I could make.