The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Housing, Health & Hatching
Building the Best Breeding Pens?
Don:
Michele, I think the roof over the runs will help a lot for moisture and shade. I have a few similar outside runs and the rain still gets blown in and makes a mess of the run space. I can't find shavings in bulk and buying in bales is an expense I don't really want to afford especially for the quantity required for runs. I have used some wood chips. The kind that you can get delivered free from tree trimming companies. They are rough and the birds do seem to enjoy scratching thru them. Does anyone else have any experience with these or other run bedding?
Has anyone heard anything from Courtney?
Max:
In my area, the soil is called black clay. As long as it is dry it's ok. If it rains, it makes the sloppiest mess you ever seen. The water will not absorb like it does in sandy areas. With all the flooding we have had in the last year, I finally had enough and put floors in all my breeder pens. I am using pine shavings about 3 inches deep. It is a much cleaner setup and I don't have to move the pens anymore. So far, the shavings are holding up well. They have been in the pens for two months and are still pretty clean with very little smell other than pine. :)
DeWayne Edgin:
Courtney did you ever get your breeding pens built? If so do you have any pictures of them that you could share ? It would be helpful if people could see what we use for ideas for their pens. I should post a few pictures of mine also i guess. :)
Don:
DeWayne, It would be great to see pics of your handiwork. I am sure they are as nice as the the goat building you built for your children's goats.
Susan Mouw:
We decided, last year, to completely rebuild all of our breeding pen coops. We're not done yet, but I have 2 up and 2 more to go. This is the concept hubby and I came up with and, I have to say, it is working beautifully in the two pens that are finished.
In the process of re-building the coops, we are also remodeling some of the exterior of the pens themselves, with a bit of paint, new pen doors, and replacing all chicken wire with 1"x2" hardware cloth.
Here are a few pics.
The Back
The Front
The Inside
In place
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