I just got some young chickens yesterday, they are either Australorp or Rhode Island, I am hoping they are all hens but if not the seller said to bring any roosters back and he will either swap them or refund me.
It took a couple of months to build the chook yard, anybody in Australia DON'T buy an Easyshed as they are anything but easy to put together, the website says a couple of hours to assemble, it took me and a handyman a day and a half with lots of swearing involved.
The bottom of the fence is set into concrete to prevent foxes from getting in.
Here are the chickens, about 5 or so weeks old no longer needing heat.
They seem to favour that area probably because of the shade and the mulch to scratch around in, I plan to plant a lemon tree for additional shade but it will take a few years to grow big enough for that.
The automatic solar powered chicken door that is set to open at sunrise and close at sunset, it can be run by timer but I am using the light sensor, bought on eBay for AU$136.
It will sense if a chicken is in the way and raise to let it through so it won't kill the chicken.
The inside of the henhouse showing the nest boxes and perches.
The water trough connected to the rainwater tank with float valve to keep it topped up.
They have plenty of mulch to scratch around in for insects and get fed a chicken mix (no antibiotics or other medications) as well as kitchen scraps and shellgrit, so a varied diet.
It will be approximately 6 months before they start laying eggs and they should be large eggs.
Each year I will add 3 more and after about 3 years I will slaughter the oldest for meat.
I have some leg rings that are colour coded and numbered so I can tell which ones to slaughter.
It took a couple of months to build the chook yard, anybody in Australia DON'T buy an Easyshed as they are anything but easy to put together, the website says a couple of hours to assemble, it took me and a handyman a day and a half with lots of swearing involved.
The bottom of the fence is set into concrete to prevent foxes from getting in.
Here are the chickens, about 5 or so weeks old no longer needing heat.
They seem to favour that area probably because of the shade and the mulch to scratch around in, I plan to plant a lemon tree for additional shade but it will take a few years to grow big enough for that.
The automatic solar powered chicken door that is set to open at sunrise and close at sunset, it can be run by timer but I am using the light sensor, bought on eBay for AU$136.
It will sense if a chicken is in the way and raise to let it through so it won't kill the chicken.
The inside of the henhouse showing the nest boxes and perches.
The water trough connected to the rainwater tank with float valve to keep it topped up.
They have plenty of mulch to scratch around in for insects and get fed a chicken mix (no antibiotics or other medications) as well as kitchen scraps and shellgrit, so a varied diet.
It will be approximately 6 months before they start laying eggs and they should be large eggs.
Each year I will add 3 more and after about 3 years I will slaughter the oldest for meat.
I have some leg rings that are colour coded and numbered so I can tell which ones to slaughter.
