Well things are moving along nicely here, been reading lots of the threads here and picking up information on do`s and don`ts and am looking forward to the White Amberlinks on Monday courtesy of Grannie~Annie ( (*Thanks again *))
Anyway, the imminent arrival of the Amberlinks has prompted me to get round to tasks that needed doing anyway. sorting out the unused henhouse and run being one of them...
Compared to the brick built old pigsty the current flockette reside in, the wooden poultry house looked decidedly prone to cold and by the same token likely to get overheated in summer.....Usual 1/2" weather board/shiplap and 2"X2" frame.....which is just right to line it all inside with 2" polystyrene and than clad it all with a layer of 1/"2 plywood, walls ceiling and even the floor got heavy duty DPC membrane ( Damp proofing ) over polystyrene and then overlaid with pine tongue and groove flooring. Last month and before any of this was even thought of I had cleaned it all out and used some super strong mite and louse killer and disinfectant and it has been stood with the door open since so well aired by now .
Also the perch bars were long gone ( we only moved in end of summer last year so inherited all this so no idea where any missing stuff might be, or even what's supposed to be where being new to poultry keeping )
There was a board on one side with 2 square cut-outs presumably for the perch bars to sit in and be easily removable for cleaning out............But having just cut back some elder bushes thought that some branches about 1 1/2" diameter would be more comfortable for them to grip rather than square timber even rounded off. So I made two new boards with half round cut-outs and the natural perch branches in place look very rustic !
After all when they perch in trees in the wild I am sure they don`t hunt around for the squarest shaped branch to sleep on .....
This poultry house has its own small run as well so will keep the Amberlinks in there for a few days so they and the established birds can get acquainted and introduced to each other gradually......Through the fence........I mean if these dainty Amberlinks have been running around with just lots of other Amberlinks then my brown hen won`t be much of a shock but the two cockerels and the goose and gander all at once might startle them a little!
Should make for some interesting social interplay anyway *S*
The established birds will continue to live in the Maison D`Etre ( oh alright, pigsty) and we will see what evolves when they are all running together and who decides what on where they would rather live and who with.
This ( I hope, if it works, ) is a picture of Henrietta, Henry and Kellogs ( the white one) getting settled in for the night last night.and yes I know the droppings want clearing up, amazing what they can do in two days, but what amazing compost it makes !
