Cluckingham Palace

Blak1 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:39 pm

After my flock loss last year, my clever, handy Hubby took a break from his car reno project and built me:
- a new enclosure for my brooder and chook sick bay;
- a new hen house;
- a reinforced run.

My old chook corner was built to be fox proof. Unfortunately I learned the hard way it wasn't. Upon hatching new chicks, roaming dogs destroyed my brooder and growing cage and killed my replacement flock. So the set-up I have now has taken all of that into account. I wanted not to have to worry about locking them up, to be able to go away for a couple of days; to be able to walk in to catch birds if needed; perches to fold up for ease of cleaning and the front to open - also for cleaning.

Here's the story of Cluckingham Palace.

All opened up - so cleaning will be a breeze when I need to change the deep litter.

Path in progress - here you can see the solar panel for the Hensafe auto door.

Rollaway (external access) nest boxes and Royal Rooster feeder / waterer.

The ramp detaches and you can see the pulley system which raises the whole perch, so I can sweep / hose it out easily when the front is open.

The hen house opens onto the run, which has now got a (strong) wire lid, rather than the poly bird-netting.

And here's the 'cage'. It comes apart and can be packed flat when not in use.

I'll get some pics of the fowl in the run soon. I have Australorps, a light sussex, leghorns, a faverolle and Marans

So happy to have chookies again, and know they're safe.

Now I just have to clean up the yard :-?

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

very impressive

Y.barnesy · **Posted:** Sun Jan 19, 2014 6:39 am

wonderful home for your chookies

what breed are you going to have

also love your hills hoist that type are lovley

Blak1 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 19, 2014 9:40 am

Thanks guys, happy with it so far, though the girls are still getting used to the auto door.... I went to the movies last night and only my clever mother hen and her 5 chicks had gone to bed in time. I had to catch the rest and put them inside when I got home.

At the moment, I have 3 Australorps, a light sussex, 6 leghorns (5 are 3wo chicks), a Standard Salmon Faverolle hen, 5 Marans chicks (looking like only 2 pullets) and 2 Araucanas - but I suspect both are cockerals.

2 of the Marans boys have crooked toes, but I want to grow them out a bit before I cull. I'm planning to sell excess quality birds at our Club show.

Bill · **Posted:** Tue Jan 21, 2014 2:41 pm

11/10 for that set up Blak, VERY impressive congt334

Raf · **Posted:** Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:27 am

Now thats a mansion I could live in congt334

very nice indeed

Raf

Chickababe · **Posted:** Tue Jan 28, 2014 4:22 pm

Love the Palace.

Where did you buy the rollaway nest boxes from?

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

Well done

That is a fantastic set up.

Hubby-D is going to build me another pen this year so I can split my breeds up and I think I can learn a lot from your set up Blak.

Will have to get you to list your suppliers for your nesting boxes & solar panel. Very cool

Cheers
Chicka-Dee

Blak1 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 29, 2014 4:27 pm

The rollaway nestboxes came from Bellsouth, and the solar-powered auto-door is a "Hensafe" door from Wagner's in Vic.

Hensafe door is just brilliant. Rollaways not so much. Great idea, but IMO poorly executed design for the price. Also, they may be good in winter, but seriously consider where the boxes will located. Even popped on the western side, where the tree shades the house, when I went in this arvo, the boxes were pretty hot. Then again, it was over 40 degrees in the house (it was 38 here today - my car said it was 45), so maybe I just need to keep an eye on things in high summer. :-?

Apart from the nestboxes, I'm really happy with everything. I just need a bale of rice hulls to mix in with the sawdust.

Hubby certainly did a good job for me

Donflock · **Joined:** Thu Jan 30, 2014 6:02 pm **Posts:** 1

Impressive job there, I will have to see if I can match it with my skill set

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