Gamefowl Shed/huts

[james95 18]

Hi all, I'm Wanting to make some new sheds/huts for my gamefowl, just want some pictures/ ideas of what People have/use.. size? Materials? Etc etc.

 

Thanks for your time.

James

[Chicken_man 1,651]

Hi James,

There are threads/posts further back if you sift through them. Some by ukroosterman, devonflighter and others.

Standard size flight pen for 1 bird is about 4'x4' for pair's about 4'x8' ish.

I have permanent pens 2mx4m for pairs. Others folk may differ. Barrels and tethers are great for single bird's. I have made them with perch on top, perch inside, wired up the bottom and made it so a door can go on at night. Easily moveable for fresh grass.

Hope this helps :-)

Atb

[Chicken_man 1,651]

 

Something a bit like this.

[Greyface 50]

James95, a lot will depend on what breed of fowl you are keeping, and also whether the pens are for multi-purpose use or more specific, ie cock pens or breeding pens.

 

Asian fowl don't need high perches. They can't get up high, and they can damage themselves if they have to drop any height over a couple of feet or so.

 

Oxford and American fowl like to get up high, and high perches help keep the birds fit and active. If they can see other birds from the perch, the cocks will fly up and down a lot.

 

I have just built some new pens in a barn for my newly acquired Oxford fowl. (I wasn't going to mention them on here until the cock had completely moulted ). The large pen is 2m deep x 2.5m long, and 1.25m at front rising to 2m at the back. It is built lean-to fashion against the barn wall, and the roof is transparent corrugated sheets to allow light from the skylights to light the pen. The perch is 1.5m high and the birds fly up no bother. I have a pair in it just now, but it should easily hold 5 hens and a brood cock.

 

I have six nest boxes in that pen and straw on the floor. Straw keeps them busy and active if they have wheat in among it. The feeder hangs just inside the door if they are getting mash. I find that fowl are quieter if they can be seen to without actually getting into the pen.

 

The smaller pen is slightly less deep and not quite so long, and will easily house a trio, or a quartet if they get on well. Both pens are built using 3x2 framing and 6mm plywood (inside pens don't get wet), and weld mesh for the fronts. Weld mesh does less damage to feet and beaks if the birds ever get a chance to go at each other through the wire.

 

I find that game cocks pay more attention to their hens if they are not too closely-sighted to neighbouring cocks. I have solid walls between the pens, so the birds can hear but not see the cocks next door. I usually have boards along the front of the pen which the cocks cannot see over. If cocks are too stressed by others it can affect fertility, and they can be hard on their hens.

 

I sometimes put an interconnecting boley hole door between pens, which can be opened by pulling a string from the outside. This is handy if you want to keep several pens of hens and work a cock between them. Once he knows the wee door lets him through to more hens, he will quickly go through when it opens. Saves catching and handling him and upsetting the hens at times.

[Chicken_man 1,651]

Greyface! That's great information :-)

Atb

I managed to get some Gingers after all.

[claude 144]

I'm still trying to get some gingers

[devon flighter 421]

greyface ,do you only put the straw in covered pens or do you use it outside as well ? i can see what you mean about keeping them occupied ! ive sand in the base of mine with coarse wood chip over for them to scratch in .

[james95 18]

Thanks for this information lads il bare this in mind when making them, I keep asian fowl mostly, is a 4x4 shed with a outside run on it ample enough for a pair do you guys think? Thanks

[neil cooney 10,416]

Go to the Ultimatefowl website and in their forums go to Coops and Pens and you'll get any amount of ideas.

[Greyface 50]

greyface ,do you only put the straw in covered pens or do you use it outside as well ?

 

I have used straw outside in the past, but it doesn't stand much rain before it is useless.

 

Your sand and wood chips should weather better than straw.

 

4x4 shed and outside runs should do a pair of Asians.

[Greyface 50]

Well done getting your gingers, Chicken man. I couldn't find any pics to post. They are on a disc which hasn't been seen since I moved house.

 

I was down near London last week, and went to see a man near Oxford on the way home. He'd advertised some cracking dark reds and pile earlier in the year. I fanced the dark reds.

 

He'd sold dozens of birds over the summer and only had a pair of pile, which he was sure were worth more than I had to pay for them, and three other spare birds left when I went there. I got a smart gypsy-faced birchen type coloured cock, a hen to match him, and a topper of a partridge red hen. The red hen has laid three eggs since I got her home, and these are under a Sussex hen which was broody when I got back.

 

I don't know what cock the red hen was with last, but I hope it was the pile.

 

I'll post some pics after they've moulted.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Greyface

[Greyface 50]

I'm still trying to get some gingers

There are some gingers on birdtrader just now, in the midlands I think. Also some hatching eggs on Ebay, I think in Yorkshire.

[Chicken_man 1,651]

Greyface!

I posted a pic or 2 on a thread a week or 3 ago with my Gingers. Take a look over.

Atb

[Chicken_man 1,651]

James95!

Post some pics when your done.

Atb

[james95 18]

Thanks guys. Yeah no problem chicken man il post pics, should be completed by weekend hopefully.