Chook House Makeover
A couple of days before the heat wave really set in the large twisted willow that shaded the ‘west wing’ poultry house broke in two halves and fell down . Wind and the Willow There was an urgent need for shade and cooling as it housed some new pullets, a mum with 8 chicks (1 week old) plus a broody hen that where not yet ready to free range and keep cool under the trees. I fitted a mister in each pen and a mini wobbler sprinkler on the roof. All these put out very low volumes of water and cooled the area very efficiently. The morning sun was very fierce as it shone directly on the pens so I fixed some hession and shade cloth around the pens while I designed some simple awnings that would provide shade and ventilation. Here’s my simple awning. It is lightweight yet strong and has not moved in strong winds. Using 15mm PVC water pipe and elbows make a frame to fit the area required to cover. Sew on shade cloth. Strong thread or fishing line is best. Attach a length of timber using a small...