[jasper65]

When I move later this year I'm hopeing to knock up either a few Arc's or a decent size couple of coops. can anyone give me a few building guidelines or perhaps some pic's of their set up :thumbs: .....

I'm looking to knock one pen up to house some Silkies mainly for covering eggs for me, this pen I'm hopeing will contain at least 4 seperate nest box's for the Silkie broodies. the other coop will be to house the Leghorns layers for the table.....

The whole idea is to use the Silkies to cover Hawk and Falcons eggs expecially for the first 10 - 15 days of Incubation, the last thing I want is the birds getting off the eggs during this key time? any advice what is the best method and set up to get around this would be much aprciated :thumbs:

Cheers

Jasper

[jasper65]

Anyone :( ...........

[Cotswold]

For the table birds you don't need anything fancy - you don't even need perches. One of my best houses is a 6x4 shed that I got cheap 'cos it was a bit battered. If you ask around at places like that you can often get a bargain and then add the necessary bits for next to nothing. For my small runs that I keep the silkies and banti's in I use half rails as a base/frame and then use plastic water pipe to form hoops, then attach the wire with cable ties. The house bit will be knocked up out of scrap timber/pallets/what have you. It is surprising what you can achieve out of not very much!

[Wolly]

ive just gid a box and run away pal , if you would have said earlier

[Wolly]

like this one but a tad smaller

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[harrycatcat]

Jasper

I got a book out of the library and it had plans for an ark and a coop but I cant think for the life of me what it was called as I have had a migraine for two days cant think straight. Next time in library I will have a look.

Regards

Hcc

[slyfox-mal]

jasper i sent you plan via email atb mal

[jasper65]

Cheers men for the replies :thumbs:

Just emailed you back Mal cheers. if you can find out the name of the book from the Library Hcc I'll get myself a copy....

I saw a method a good while back where a keeper was useing Bantams in small hutches to cover Pheasant eggs! twice a day he lifted them off the nest and attached a harness to a leg so they could eat and drink and take a dump before returning them to the brooding chambers....

This method looks spot on for what I want here! at the moment I have 6 hens in a run which plays havoc with each other, they seem to lay eggs in other birds nests and generaly disturb each other from sitting! I also tried placing a single female in a old ark this year but for some reason she stopped laying and never went broody? I had the feeling the bird didn't like the laying chamber in the ark due to it being too dark but to be Honest I'm just Guessing, getting a few hens broody in Individual cambers would be perfect just as long as I can be confident they will stay sitting and not go walk abouts....

cheers

Jasper

[Tis TM]

I can only speak personally, but I have a 6 x 4 garden shed as my chicken house, with 4 nest boxes about 2 ft off the floor at the back. When one of my hens goes broody, they generally fart about for about 3 to 5 days, and move from box to box. I'm collecting eggs every day so I disturb them aswell. The best way I can tell if a hen will sit tight is if she still hunkers down with no eggs under her. I make sure she's sat for 3 days, then move her with the selected eggs to another garden shed that has a nest box on the floor, same size as the laying boxes 12 x 12 inches.
They are nothing spesh, just knocked up with ply wood, but they do prefer to be enclosed I've found. I've never had a prob with them not getting back on the egg's after feeding, in fact, one of my hens wont eat or drink for 2 to 3 days sometimes, before coming off.
The best sitters have been the banty cross breds.
You'll soon get to know a reliable sitter, and she'll never fail to let you down. I lend out one of my best girls to a friend with Gleenie egg's to hatch, and she sits 3 times a year.
Maybe you could find someone near you with similar to loan
Best of luck :)

[dEs]

Jasper you could always try moving your bantams when they go broody to a different nest box/house etc and so end the others hens laying/disturbing your broody. You should be able to tell when your hens sitting tight easy enough and then just move her during the night with her eggs. If shes still sitting tight after a day or two give her the clutch of eggs you want her to hatch.

Ive done it a couple of times this year and hopefully will a couple more.. I'm using silkie /silkiex sussex and they're gems.