Modified Hoop Coop Design Development

Victoria-nola said:

Again, I apologize for being missing. I didn't see a notification, and I've been so busy. I just hatched out 7 keets from eggs I ordered from ebay. Just earlier Saturday night. Before that I had baby chicks delivered, my first time getting chicks at the post office. I would have gotten eggs but I knew I wanted to incubate the keets and I only have one incubator. Where we live it's good to raise young birds about this time of year because the bugs go away and there is still plenty of time for them to feather out before it gets cold.
Question was asked what to use to cover the pointy seams to protect the tarp. On the recommendation of the builder who had built in significant support for his hoop house and which I admired, I used something called "sill gasket", which is a plastic foam stuff that is put between the foundation and the wooden sill, the first wood. It's supposed to help protect it from rot, and it may last for many years in the dark. But using it where the light hits it is a poor idea. It decomposed and is putting bits of plastic into our environment, which I am picking up on a regular basis.
I think using hose insulation, or actual old hose, is a better idea.
I think what I will use is one of the following, the batten tape is a lot cheaper, cheaper than hose insulation, and probably better all around as this tape won't decompose:
https://www.greenhousemegastore.com/polypropylene-batten-tape-gf--9007
edit: Found the deal I needed:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WZ5E3A/?tag=backy-20
I think this could be applied over the poky seams by using a zip tie every 2-4 feet, closing the ziptie on the inside of the frame so it's smooth next to the tarp on the outside. Then lay over the tarp. This is what I will buy for the new tarp install.
https://www.greenhousemegastore.com...lene-install/white-felt-with-adhesive-backing
This is probably the best, although it is narrowish and probably would need 2 rows, and is much more costly.

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Mixed flock enthusiast said:

Hi Victoria, I didn’t get your notifications either! I ended up using a white/silver opaque tarp, because it was still quite hot out when I put the keets in the coop to adjust; a clear tarp with a greenhouse effect would have been too hot... So far it’s working out OK. My traps don’t seem to last too long, probably due to our summer heat. I may install metal panels when this tarp fails. Maybe something like:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/7440310/
For the rough edges at the front and back, I ended up covering it with foam pipe insulation that was zip tied onto the rough edges. So far so good! My worst moment with the new Guinea coop was coming out to check on our keets in the morning and finding dead keets with a snake. Our only coral blue!!! I still feel so bad that I missed the gaps that let the snake in... Fortunately, the keets still find it a safe place - I’m just starting to let them out for the day, and so far they are returning at night.

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Victoria-nola said:

Yeah, those metal panel would be an end to the tarp issue. How many keets do you have in the coop currently? That's so cool they are coming back. Do you have adults living in it too? I'm thinking about when I do let the keets out, there will be the group of adults and keets who live outdoors, and I'm wondering if that will make the keets abandon the coop.

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Victoria-nola said:

It's complicated. I guess I'm going to have to just take it a step at a time and all will be revealed. For sure, the adult guineas have shown keen interest in the new keets. When you use the electric net as a temporary run, do you cover the whole thing with the net so they can't fly out?

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