Using the 'deep litter' system (maintaining at least 6 inches or 15 cm of hay, straw or other bedding on the floor) seems to have worked really well. After nine months, it was surprisingly clean under all that hay, straw and grass. That said, we inhaled a lot of dust from the decomposed and finely shredded hay and straw in the shed as we removed it and piled it up as mulch around various trees around our place.
Then while I added compost to the vegetable beds and transplanted the tomatoes, David built a fantastic nest box inside the chook shed to house a broody hen. One of our girls has been spending most of the day on the nest (located in the cupboard under the sink) and we're going to try setting some fertile eggs under her. I don't hold out a lot of hope that it will work first go, but it's worth a shot. Fingers crossed!
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It is made from an old cupboard door (where the other chook is hiding), recycled floor boards, treated pine and shipping pallets. The wire is new.
ReplyDeleteThe whole lid lifts up for access (a last minute design decision that worked out:-).
i love the pickers hut, i wish i had one at my place, always looking out for one for sale. you have lucky chooks
ReplyDeleteIn some ways I feel a bit bad about using the hut for chooks.
ReplyDeleteIt was very manky before we put them in there. I wouldn't have stayed in it.
In fact, as Susan said, despite having chooks in there it is still in pretty much the same condition as when we moved in.
It would be nice if it was closer to the house, but I think I may be glad of the distance when a rooster moves in (or is born :-).