Thursday, June 4, 2009

Our Chookhouse

Our beautiful Chookhouse

Russell and I are rather proud of our chookhouse. Please that come over, especially for the first time always comment how it looks like an outhouse :). Yes it sure does but you know what it really services its purpose.

When we started designing it I said that I wanted to be able to get into the house, have it off the ground and have the chooks come and go thru a separate door. So this is the design that Russell came up with.

We assembled it in the shed first, took it apart again and put it up out where it now stands. The door is a little bit smaller than a normal size door. When our house was being built the carpenter got one of the door measurements wrong. The door was left behind and so we ended up using it here. The chooky door has a sliding door with handle on it and gets shut up every night. Inside the chooks have three roosting perches and then four nesting boxes. They usually only use the one... I also keep seed in a metal feeder and a waterer in there as well. Other than that they have wood shavings on the ground and in the nesting boxes.

This set-up has worked really well so far and hope that it sticks around for a while. The posts are hardwood and you should see the bolts used. They should be around for a long time. :)

Currently I am getting 10 to 11 eggs from 13 chooks. The other chooks that I have are either not laying or too young, so think I am getting a pretty good number of eggs currently. Most of them just went thru a moult but not for long really. They are back and at it. They also free range all day and love it. They have lots of area to cover and do a great job...

I Love my chooks, ducks, guinea fowl and geese. Wouldn't be the same out here without them.
Cheers Damaris

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You are soo far way from that suburban woman i first met!! lol well done damaris.
I think its great that you are all anjoying it soo much..defineatly an environment that encourages a closer bond within the family and i think that is beautiful..you are beautiful!!
love you
Margaret