I had an idea for turning the girl’s wooden table into a shelter. I thought that we could put some strips of wood over the gaps on top to make it waterproof from above.
I thought some strips of clear perspex on the back and sides would stop the rain blowing through and provide a shelter from the wind. A perch inside would give the little girls somewhere sheltered and dry to perch and provide a dry dust bath area underneath.
Whether they choose to use it is another matter but they like the perch on the side of the table and they like to sit on top of the table when the ground is cold.
The wooden table before modifying it
Perspex added to the back and sides and planks inside which the little girls could sit on
The top of the table before
The top of the table after
The table back in place with a branch perch added to the inside
Emerald and Barley went straight over to investigate
Peaches and Speckles soon joined the investigation
Speckles was the first to go in
She tries out the perch
I put Freckles on the perch
She didn’t seem impressed but I think that the the little girls need to find it in their own time. I am sure they will discover it over the next few days.
I feel sure that they are unlikely to go in the chicken shed during bad weather but perhaps they might like to perch here. Time will tell.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
What a great idea, I love the pictures of them all having a look,Iam sure they will find it ,and use it when it is cold. You do get some good ideas.
I love the photos of them all having a look too. Chickens are so curious. They love to check out anything new. Freckles and Rusty have perched in there today but I didn’t manage to get a photo. I did get some of Pebbles in there though so that will be coming soon.
That looks great
I am really pleased with it as Pebbles has perched there a few times today. I talked to my husband about making a winter shelter and he said it would be too complicated and then they may not use it. Then I thought that a few adaptions to the existing table would make a shelter easily and the table is something they are already used to. Sometimes the simple ideas work best.
Great idea! That’ll give them outdoor shelter from the elements – and they uch prefer to be outdoors, rather than in the shed. My father was suggesting to me the other day that I should make an outdoor scratching shed, as my grandfather did very many years ago. I am not keen, as it involves taking down a well-established tree; I might well copy your idea, however, as that could be accommodated without any significant preparatory work. The girls are so curious – a pleasure to watch when they come across something new – and you’ve captured that beautifully in your photos.
I’ve read about an outdoor scratching shed which was what I first had in mind but this was much more simple and I think it will work really well so you could do something quite small and the girls will like it just as much as a bigger model.
I knew you would like the girls curiosity. When I put these photos on I thought of you because I know how much you also like the curiosity of chickens. There is something so appealing and funny about them when they see something new.