The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Moleskins on August 20, 2012, 04:42:14 pm

Title: Converting to a hen house
Post by: Moleskins on August 20, 2012, 04:42:14 pm
Can anyone think why I shouldn't convert a pig arc to use for hens. Can't see us having any pigs for a while, so if I give it a good clean out, put some perches in and some boxes for egg laying at the back, would that about do it?
Title: Re: Converting to a hen house
Post by: hughesy on August 20, 2012, 05:03:36 pm
Don't see why not. The biggest problem I can see is your back after a few days of crouching down to get the eggs, and even worse cleaning it out. Unless of course you can tip it upside down to clean it.
Title: Re: Converting to a hen house
Post by: ayrt1010 on August 20, 2012, 07:17:18 pm
My husband converted an old wardrobe and that works really well!!!! :)
Title: Re: Converting to a hen house
Post by: chrismahon on August 20, 2012, 07:20:05 pm
I've seen a filing cabinet converted!
Title: Re: Converting to a hen house
Post by: WarescotFarm on August 20, 2012, 07:39:30 pm
If you do deep litter you would only need to clean it once or twice a year as they scratch the poop down to the bottom where is decomposes.

You can convert anything, anyone seen the car converted to a hen house? Check out Green Renaissance on facebook they have AMAZING ideas!
Title: Re: Converting to a hen house
Post by: the great composto on August 23, 2012, 09:16:05 am
Wouldnt that be perfect for rats underneath?   I always like my henhouses on stilts for that single reason.
Title: Re: Converting to a hen house
Post by: Moleskins on August 23, 2012, 09:33:36 am
Love the car - good point about the stilts though.
Rats are a damn nuisance, we've got them in the garden after the bird food. I shoot, poison and trap them every so often and we don't see any for ages then back they come.
Lots of restaurants in the village so food scraps abound.
Title: Re: Converting to a hen house
Post by: chris3000 on August 23, 2012, 08:26:57 pm
We use Pig Arks for our chickens, we put pallets down as a base (one section fully based with a ply top)

In regards to rats - we then put chicken wire as a base under the pallets and monitor it on a regular basis