chicken nursery

[Valerie]

I'm thinking about building something along these lines for Rose and the littles when they come.



Anyone have any suggestions or wisdom to impart?

I would leave some kind of door for me on the back end so I could take care of their food and water.

[Cyngbaeld]

Hardware cloth, not chicken wire unless it is also inside a very sturdy fenced area. Coons and dogs can destroy chicken wire. Coons will also reach thru the holes in chicken wire and pull chicks out or pieces of larger birds.

Put a flap of hardware cloth all around so it lays on the ground for 24 inches out on each side to stop digging creatures getting into the tractor. Make them so they can be lifted out of your way to move the tractor. Digging creatures normally will try to dig at the base of the vertical side, not out 24 inches.

[Granny Smith]

I agree with Kim about the hardware cloth (aka: rat wire). Chicks can walk right through chicken wire.

[Valerie]

Oh gosh, you're right! I've seen them poke their heads through and get stuck, too! Hardware cloth holds its shape a lot better too, and would be much more supportive than floppy old chicken wire.

Hey, I was thinking about this this morning. I need to have some way for me to get in there, just in case. How would y'all do it?

Also, I have never really figured out how to do the ends. How would y'all do that?

[Granny Smith]

Maybe you could wire down one side, instead of using electrician's straps, so you could untwist it and open the whole side. Or you might just make the door on the end bigger. Or, rather than use those hoops, just angle the sides with wood (like the center board) and hinge one section.

[Valerie]

I was kind of thinking of just wiring one piece of the wire down, instead of strapping it, and then just lifting it up if I need to get in there. I remember that littles tend to dump their food a lot, and I might need to get in there and rescue someone or fix something.

I kind of need to keep it light weight for storage. I only plan to use it for a couple of months, just until the littles are big enough to merge in with the others and not get eaten.

[BigM]

What about using one of those 4' tall dog pens and putting additional wire on the inside of that? You could probably find one used.

[Valerie]

That's what Dave was thinking, too, M. He'd rather buy something already done. I'm such a tightwad I don't want to spend a single extra dime.

You know, that makes me think, why not just build a 4' pen with 2x4s and wire, with a door. I think I could do it. I'm a little bit scared of saws, though. I am, however a whiz with PVC pipe.