Roost: The roost I built is plenty big! The eleven chickens only take up about half at night, mainly because some of the hens tuck themselves under their sisters. I don’t want more chickens, even though the coop is nice and roomy. We get enough eggs for the family and have enough to occasionally give some to neighbors as well. I discovered that butchering chickens is not for me, so there is no need to hatch more for meat. I don’t have a rooster, either, so no chicks anyway. I had grand schemes for a droppings catcher under the roost, but it scared the chickens, so we use the deep litter method instead. I get soft flake pine shavings to cover the floor and clean out the whole mess when the odor gets out of control (about every six months).

Isolation ward: This has been brilliant. I built storage cabinets on one side of the coop, and made one that can also function as an isolation ward. I’ve used this to brood the chicks, when one of the chickens has an injury, when I need to give medicated water to just one, or when one is broody (broody chickens don’t lay eggs and can die trying to hatch dud eggs). For my broody hens, I usually just move them off the nest at night and put them back on the roost with their sisters. I’ve had a couple go hard enough broody that they yell at me when I approach the nest. That is when they get the isolation ward with a perch and no nest. It usually only takes a day in isolation to break the nesting need. The isolation ward is lined with plastic cardboard, which makes cleaning up much easier.

Metal locking cans: I store extra feed, scratch, and mealworms in the bottom cabinet in metal trash cans. I sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the outside of the bins to discourage bugs. So far, nothing has invaded the cans!

More tomorrow!