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| Galvanized floor trays pull out from either side; 4 nesting boxes allow for rotation. |
There's nothing worse than wet hens! Well, there is, but we're talkin' chicken here... (yes, rain is the reoccuring theme - at least until after Rose Fest). The bonus in all this is that the hens spend more time in the coop.
Bonus?? Absolutely!!
My coop is equiped with galvanized nesting boxes and floor trays for easy cleaning. Just pack it over to the compost pile and dump!
I use straw in my coop; it makes for a great "green-to-brown" ratio in my compost pile! What's even better (and a bit gross) is that the hens scratch in the compost piles and churn everything up; effective (and efficient) composting aides!
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| My only request was that it had to have wheels... this is what I got! : ) |
The coop is my husband's design. It's perfect for the 3 hens; they even have a window to look out and see what the day holds before they go out!
It's built from scrap lumber, a reclaimed window, and the shingles are leftover from when the house was re-roofed a few years back. I failed to paint it last summer so will need to do a few light repairs before it gets painted this Spring.
During the summer, it gets moved around the yard so as not to entirely kill the grass underneath. Since the coop has remained stationary all winter, this patch will get a bit of compost, grass seed and protection from the hens while it reestablishes.
Chicken poo is one of the highest nitrogen fertilizers/manures out there. It's awesome for mixing in your compost pile, but don't use it fresh or you run the risk of burning plants and contaminating fresh veg (if it is splashed up on leaves from rain or hand watering - think lettuce, spinach, chard).
Play is safe - don't use any type of manure fresh in your flower or veg beds. Let it compost for a few months; active "hot" composting for 3-4 months, cold compost for a year or more.
I have 3 happy hens, which in turn give me 3 eggs a day.
Life is good.
PEAS OUT!
~GP
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