Trainer said:
That size pen would be good for about 2 - 4 chickens at most. When you mow the grass, throw some in there for them to scratch and peck. One problem that can develop with chickens is what to do with the eggs. One egg per day per chicken will equal a lot of eggs in a week.
Please... chickens are quite social.. I use those chain link dog kennels for chickens. if i only put 2-4 chickens in each one I'd have acers of the things..
To the original poster.. the pens are fine.. get some landscape mesh fence / netting from walmart.. it is a fine screen mesh. Also get some hardware wire.. make about 4 wires across the top of the pen ( side to side ).. the wires act as rafters.. now lay a double layer o fthe netting ove rthe pen and use zip ties or more hardware wire to tie it on to the rail. Now you are hawk and owl proof. Get an automatic dog water dish and plumb it to a faucet.. get a hanging chicken feeder.
For shade, I got a 10' piece of 24" 5V roof tin, and some 5g buckets. lay 3 5g buckets on their side.. one at the far end of the pen and another in the middle, and one on the other end.. open end out. lay your roof tin on here.. now you have 3 private laying boxes, plus the area between them fo the chickens to get out of the sun.. lay this out so the the metal provides shade at the hottest part of the day.. Ie.. watch your sun angle. Drill a couple holes on the short side of the tin and wire it to the fence on each side.. this keeps it in place.
for the feeder, lay a 3' 2x2 or piece of pipe.. etc across the corner of the pen.. IE.. bridge a corner.. use more of that wire to run from that member down to the hanging feeder.. hang the feeder 1/2" of fthe ground.. this will keep ants out.. and keep dirt from getting scratched up into the feeder from the chickens... If the feeder don't have a lid, make one from something.. piece of metal .. 1/4" wood.. etc.. I like making them from a 2' circle of 1/4 or 3/16" plywood.. drill a hole and run your wire to the feeder thru it.. this gives some shade at the feeder... might have to attach a couple brace wires from the lip of the wood to the top wire to keep it level.
lastly, get a 2x2 or old shovel handle or tomator stakes.. etc..or 2, and stick them thru the wire again, bridging corners of the pen.. put them a couple feet off the ground.. one right over the edge of the tin roof will be fine... your chickens will like to roost OFF the ground, unless they are setting.
You now have a chicken habitat and are ready for eggs....
grass clippings and hay will be used for nesting and forage...
Chickens will want ground limestone, or oyster shell or pigeon grit. You can also recycle your egg shells. When i use an egg in the kitchen, I wash it out and toss it on a bucket outsid ethe back door.. At the end of the week i put them on a baking sheet and bake them on 425 for a few minutes.. then put them back in the bucket and crush them, and then pour them ont he chicken feed.
A little 3 or 5 grain scratch and/or cracked corn will make the chickens happy as well.
Garden and table scraps such as the peelings from fruit or vegis.. tops of carrots.. .. any trimmings from vegies.. potator skins.. eyes cut from potatoes.. apple cores.. etc.. these can all be tossed inthe pen and the chickens love them.. even leftover table scraps... cooked vegies. etc..
Try to keep yeast containing breads away from the chickens when you want them to lay.
soundguy
