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Bodger

A build it yourself chicken shed.

My friend Blind Pugh and myself knocked up the framework of this chicken shed this afternoon. We used treated 2x2 timber and predrilled before using galvanised 4" nails to fix things together.
The dimensions of the shed are going to be 6' long by 4' wide and the height will be 4'6" at the front, dropping to 4' at the rear.
The structure will be topped with a black Onduline roofing sheet and will have a secure roosting and nesting area set up off the ground.
It will have the advantage of being fairly mobile and IMO would be suitable for a pair of large fowl, or a trio of smaller ones.
I'm hopeful, that weather permitting, tomorrow should see it virtually completed.









chez

Ooooh, did you design that after seeing Nat's onduline coffin things? I am in the process of working out something similar for my breeding groups.
Bodger

No. I made a similar one over twelve months ago.
I'll try my best to get a crack on tomorow, so that the next lot of pictures should give a much better idea as to what the end result will look like. thumbup
pookie

is it spot the difference? Razz
Bodger

I know that I saved two pictures to my Photobucket to put on this post, I think that you may have just spotted my deliberate mistake. Laughing




Bodger

Blind Pugh putting the netting on. I'm quite a bit slimmer than him of course. Embarassed









The floor of the roosting and nesting section goes in.









The pop hole and sides are added.









A really good painting with creosote covers a multitude of sins.









I'm hoping to finish my DIY chicken shed over the coming weekend. thumbup
Green Rosie

The chooks seem happy with it already Wink
Brownbear

Green Rosie wrote:
The chooks seem happy with it already Wink


They're admiring the carpentry.
Bodger

The new chicken coop is all but finished. thumbup



















kirstyfern

Nest box and perch?
Bodger

Yes of course thumbup There's a perch and a nest box inside the raised compartment.
kirstyfern

I was after a picture Wink Looks a very good, simple design, even I may be able to make this one, LOL!
Bodger

The truth is, that when I said "all but done", thats the bit that I haven't done yet. Very Happy

This is the second one that I've made and they don't really take very long to make at all.
Its nice to design your own, because you can build in the features that you want. The two key features for me, are that once they are locked away in their first floor appartment, the chickens are safe from foxes for the night and that everything is also at a nice height for getting to. The nest box and the area that needs cleaning is at waist height, which means that the need for bending or getting on hands and knees is completely done away with.

Here's my nest box, which even though I say so myself is somewhat up market.


I needed to put a new nest box in with a pen of my Light Sussex chickens. I scratched my head and remembered an old wine box that we'd had hanging around the place for years. I hunted it out and found that it had some live woodworm. I dusted it off and decided to give it a good coat of cresote both inside and out, to see off its unwanted residents. I nailed a piece of wood across the front of the case to stop the nesting material from spilling and? Hey Presto ! A super duper nest box.









It was only after a closer look at it, that I realised I'd uncovered an interesting little gem.




The case was 65 years old.









But maybe, it wasn't a wine case after all ? Could it have once contained whisky? Surely, more whisky comes from Perth than wine? scratch









But then just to confound my theory, here's the stamp from the other side of the case.








Am I correct in thinking that that Oporto is synonymous with Port ? I'm not at all sure, I know that they have a football team. Smile

I can't help but wonder how much the contents of the case would be worth today if someone hadn't guzzled it sixty odd years ago? thumbup
kirstyfern

That looks very interesting, probably Port.
I'm sure the hens will enjoy laying in there Wink
sean

Vintage port for certain. About four grand/case. Mind, I can't find any recent sales figures.
Bodger

I wish I hadn't poured that shitty stuff out of the bottles that came with it now. Laughing
kirstyfern

Shocked
Bodger

I'd like to encourage everyone and anyone to make their own chicken sheds. I reckon that for the cost of buying a suitable 'factory made' one, you should be able to build approximately three of your own.
I recently purchased a chicken shed that proved to be absolutely unfit for purpose and it wasn't cheap either. However, if you design and build your own, then you've only got yourself to blame. I say have a go and see if you can make this kind of DIY it an itegral part of your chicken keeping. I think that you may find that it adds to the whole experience of being a poultry keeper. Very Happy
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