Since nearly doubling our flock in July, we opened up half of the barn for the chickens to use as they may. Previously outfitted for horses, the barn had two converted stalls for the chickens already. We keep it open, with the back doors ajar. We give them whatever they want. That's why they're here.
But this week it threatened thunderstorms and the chickens stayed in the shadows of the day. They bathed in the dust and waited for the storm to break. They were lethargic and antsy and fought over the real estate of the open barn.
And in their own way, they pecked, fought and pushed each other to get what they wanted.
It gave me an idea. I remembered seeing a chicken swing on Amazon last year. And after some research, I saw that I wasn't the only one with the idea. So I went down by the creek where the trees grow. I found a branch, I got my drill and made a swing for the girls.
How to Build a Chicken Swing
Materials:
- A branch
- Power drill outfitted with drill bit
- Rope
- 2 Screw hooks
Directions:
- Drill a hole on either side of your branch with about a 2 inch margin on either side
- Measure how far you want your swing to hang and cut two strips of rope in this measurement (I did about 2.5 feet off the ground)
- Pull rope through one hole and knot the bottom
- Repeat on other side
- Screw hooks into ceiling or on a rafter and tie other rope end into the hook
- That's it! Give the chickens a few days to get used to it, but some will jump up immediately!
