Greetings all,
Last week i drove past this cabinet on the side of the road (for extra degree of difficulty it was dumped at a round about) & on closer inspection it had a broken up marble top . . . i wonder if it was a homemade basin?? Thrilled to discover it's made from packing crates, incredibly sturdy, painted in the perfect 1950's vintage green one side, yellow the other & the chickens love their new day house.
My end goal was to take advantage of the height & create a full sun roof top garden.
Our chickens & ducks LOVE lettuce, so i planted a couple of dozen butter, iceberg & rocket lettuce varieties, to give them whole lettuces every day.
This small gauge chicken wire was perfect to protect the lettuce as they grow.
We've found the odd chicken up there having a look around, their weight lowers them down for a little peck & we can easily prop it up if they start to destroy the garden.
I used some old pumpkin fencing, stakes, plastic from my sewing stock & discarded MDF, purchased extra soil which we need for a new wine barrel Spring herb garden too. Another inexpensive project for the chickens & ducks to benefit from. Total cost, under $20.
None of our chickens have tried to fly away (we inherited the hens, they might have tried to leave or hop over the fence away from our German Shepherd, even though chickens are useless at flying they can panic flee.) The ducks have their adult feathers yet i'm uncomfortable clipping their wing feathers & they're staying too . . . for the lettuce??
The chicken day house is a huge hit, just ask raised-from-egg-chicks Viola, Flute, Piccolo & Cello. I knocked the top shelf out & put in a perch. For some reason, our chickens don't have a pecking order, they all hang out together or in gangs of different breeds, sizes, ages & mingle all day & night. One hen has gone broody (a Silky Star cross) she rolls everyone's eggs under her & is quite the proud Mama. For more Creative Spaces visit Village Voices. Love Posie
i like their day get-a-way place! and your lettuce garden, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by...and a big thanks for the egg shell to shell grit tip. We usually throw the broken up shells into the compost bin, but I'll bake and crush as well.
ReplyDeleteVery cute chooks by the way.
Lesley
xx
Love your new chicken house! and it looks like the chickens don't want to wait for the lettuce to grow before eating it!!
ReplyDeleteCute little chicken house!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! Your feathered friends all look so happy and content xx
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool!! Especially the roof garden to have a peck at. I like that they don't have a pecking order!xx
ReplyDeleteYour are a great chicken-mom! Their own lettuce garden on top of a new shelter :>) lovely!
ReplyDeleteHi Miss Posie, catching up with everyone today. A day house, great idea, better that it didn't cost anything, your ladies are lovely...Great idea planting the lettuce, when I used to grow lettuce we could never eat it fast enough, I never thought to throw a few in for the girls....I'm so homesick, I miss my chooks ...
ReplyDeleteI like your little roof-top garden! Great idea Posie. And what cute chookies. I bet they are lots of fun with their funny antics!
ReplyDeleteHey Jennie, great kerbside find and love the way you have recycled it.
ReplyDeleteRoof top garden will be looking lovely and lush in a few weeks time.
Your hand raised chicks are lovely, just wondering what breed they are ?
Claire :}
Thanks Claire, the chickens are Silver Spangled Hamburgs & Pekin Bantams, which we raised from eggs. The other chickens range from Jersey Blues, Rhode Island Reds, Silky cross Stars. All beautiful temperment. Love Posie
ReplyDeleteFancy!
ReplyDeleteIt's chicken perfection!!
ReplyDeleteHi Posie
ReplyDeleteNice find. The only thing I find on the side of the road is garbage.
Your lettuce roof top garden is a very clever idea.
Ah, perfect!!
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool, i just ripped a beautiful mirror off an old dresser, preparing to throw the dresser!!!...Thank you for this wonderful inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI am impressed your creative mind . Roof painting aucland
ReplyDeleteGreat article, totally what I wanted to find.
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Your goal is interesting, Jennie. Rooftop gardens are becoming a huge trend nowadays, and it’s nice that your are allowing yourself to become part of this trend. Not bad for a start. I’m sure these plants are going to grow healthy in just a few months, and you’ll finally have your incredible roof garden.
ReplyDeleteAllyson Sunde