Ok, it’s been a few weeks since I‘ve updated this thread, work stopped on the chicken house for awhile because of some wet weekends, and other commitments, but last weekend (long weekend in WA) we got back on track and finished cladding the walls and the doors, put in a ceiling, insulation and a roof on top. Then threw some paint all over it and stuck some trim on the edges to tidy it up.
I got a bit carried away with the making it look nice and splurged on new tin for the roof. We originally got some free tin from freecycle, but that will be used to make a compost bin instead now. The inside paint was left over from painting our hallway a few months ago, the outside paint we bought to match our house, but thanks so a ditsy checkout girl and a very full trolley Bunnings kindly donated it to us (In my defence, I didn’t actually notice until I read the docket on the way home, call me dishonest if you like, but the amount we spend there, they owe me a small win)
Yesterday morning hubby was up bright and early to put the window in and the bolts on the doors before we went to a local poultry club auction at lunch time and bought our ladies.
Since taking this photo we’ve put a short term chicken wire pen at one end while we organise build a permanent one over the next couple of weekends.
Buying at auction probably isn’t the cheapest way get laying hens, but I was keen to get traditional breeds (as opposed to hybrid layers who have more stringent dietary requirements and lay more eggs, but over a shorter lifespan). Besides, after all this waiting I wanted chickens NOW.
Our ladies are Queenie the Coronation Sussex (White with Grey Neck), Bo the Australorp (Black) and The Sisters (Buff Orpingtons). Queenie is a but older than the others and seems to be asserting herself as bos, but there hasn’t been any major problems between them yet.
In the first photo Midas the GOlden Retriever is watching his new favourite show “The Chicken Channel”.