Broody hens

[helomech]

My broody hens are getting confused sometimes and getting on the wrong nest. So I am building a new place for broody hens, and for hens with chicks. Bought one of those cheap sheds form Lowes, 10'X14'. Figured I would kill two birds with one stone, my well needed to be put in a shed anyways so I could keep it from freezing. Got further than these pics, but forgot to take more before the sun went down. Going to section off the well from the chickens, and build nest boxes and such inside. More pics tomorrow, as I get more done. Should have some chicks soon.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii247/helomech1973/IMG_1677.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii247/helomech1973/IMG_1678.jpg

[bacpacker]

Nice dual purpose shed. Good luck with the chicks

[helomech]

Nice dual purpose shed. Good luck with the chicks

Thanks, building one that size out of wood would have cost me a lot more than this one.

[Evolver]

With the price of wood now days... you aint justa tootn!

[helomech]

With the price of wood now days... you aint justa tootn!

Yeah, no doubt. My chicken coupe is 8'X16' and it cost me well over a grand. This is 10'X14' and only cost me 400 bucks.

[bacpacker]

Your right Helo, I'll be over a grand by the time I'm done with mine. It's 10x12. If I hadn't gotten such a deal of the oak lumber that I'm siding with and I'm able to use the left over metal roofing from the house repairs I probably wouldn't have went the route I did. That said, i shouldn't have to do much of anything else to it for many years, once I get it done.

[helomech]

Yeah, I am going to have a little more than 400 bucks in it, but not much. Have lumber and stuff to build the inside, and put lights and electric plugs. There are already 2 electric plugs inside thanks to the water well.

Got tired of my water freezing up, so this shed should help that also.

[ravensgrove]

Right now I am thinking "why the hell haven't I thought of that". We have built two seperate dog house size structures around our well head, and our controller is at a totally different area. I paid a guy to build a box around it....but it never, not once, occurred to me to get a prefab building and erect it around the well head...well DUH. You know where I am going now.......

[helomech]

Well got it wired up with lights, and got the well all sealed up and fenced off. Put some bedding in the bottom, and got the hens put in it. Had at least 6 baby chicks today, should have more in a few days.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii247/helomech1973/home/IMG_1684.jpg

The well all sealed up.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii247/helomech1973/home/IMG_1690.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii247/helomech1973/home/IMG_1691.jpg

And a pic of the hen with two babies, she has 6 I think. She kept the rest of them hid.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii247/helomech1973/home/IMG_1692.jpg

[helomech]

Some better pics of the chicks. My wifes boss hatched 30 of our eggs in a incubator, so she kept 10, I gave a friend 10, and I managed to get this hen to take the other 10. She has 16 to care for. I hope she can do it.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii247/helomech1973/IMG_1698.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii247/helomech1973/IMG_1697.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii247/helomech1973/IMG_1696.jpg

[bacpacker]

Some nice looking chicks helo. I like the building and the dual use. Having the well inside with the birds should do good sharing the heat.

[helomech]

Thanks, that well would freeze up every year. Hoping this year it doesn't.

[bacpacker]

Have you checked into getting some heat tape to wrap the pipes in? I've used in a old mobile home we had to keep our pipes thawed. It used to be available in the small hardware stores, Ace, Etc. I don't recall seeing it at Lowes or HD.

[helomech]

Have you checked into getting some heat tape to wrap the pipes in? I've used in a old mobile home we had to keep our pipes thawed. It used to be available in the small hardware stores, Ace, Etc. I don't recall seeing it at Lowes or HD.

Yeah, thought about that. But without something over it, I don't think they could keep up. This way with a little heater on it, it should keep the chickens above freezing and the well thawed.