straw bale chicken coop

i read today in one of my chicken books that straw bales work good for chicken coops. does anyone have any pictures of a straw bale chicken coop that they own.i got some questions.

1. is it hard to build.

2. like what kinds of protection does in have. Couldnt predators get into a coop like that. if so what could i do to make it more predator proof.

You would put chicken wire on the inside and outside of the strawbale walls and plaster it over to give a predator/pest proof surface. How predator proof it will be depends entirely on how well you design and build it.

ok thanks that helpful. .
i am going to be building it in the spring so i had to get some advice.
but cant predators chew through chicken wire. some of them. do u think it would be even better if i put chicken wire then chain link wire over that on the inside and out???

And you'd also need a barrier between the bottom of the bales and the ground to keep ants and other bugs out.

I used hay bales as a wind/cold block in my chicken run and about 1/2 a million ants found themselves a new home.

Keep in mind too that straw and hay aren't the same thing.

You can find videos showing how to build a straw building here: http://www.expertvillage.com/video/150_wrapping-wire-around-your-straw-bale-house.htm

Kathy in Texas

wow thanks. i hate ants.

There is another thread on this subject going today, you might check it out for more info.

Strawbale construction, like is used for houses, IS good for chicken coops. Very very high insulation value, and ddurable. However this is MUCH MUCH more complicated than just stackin' up some bales. You have to have a proper foundation to keep the walls stable and the bales off the ground; then you put the bales together, spearing them with rebar as you go, then wrap the whole thing with chickenwire and plaster over it with cement. Most people don't make the strawbales structural, they just use them to fill in a timber frame.

There is no issue of predators getting in because it becomes essentially a stucco wall.

However this is LOTS AND LOTS OF WORK and not quite as cheap as you might think. (Although cheaper, for houses, than traditional stick building, if you do it yoyrself).

Just stacking strawbales to make a coop is not such a good idea.

Very dangerous (can't tie it together well enough to prevent collapse, unless it is just a tiny doghouse-style hut), will get moldy, totally vulnerable to predators, won't last long, etc.

Strawbale construction (the whole enchilada with the foundation and rebar and cement and all) IS great for building houses, but would only be a good idea for a coop if you like the challenge of doing things differently. THere are lots EASIER ways to build a coop (tho it won't end up nearly as insulated).


Pat

Quote:
I bought a book "Chicken Coops" by Judy Pangman. It has 45 building plans and does include one made out straw bales. you do use supports. I don't want to use one, my DH thought it was okay to do (I won, building coop). Theresa

i have book but i like to see what all u need and realistic pictures.

I'm sorry I have no idea, but the title just made me think of the 3 little pigs

Theres's a guy up the road that makes one for his dogs every winter. I will try & get pictures of it for you. If he is out, I will ask if I could take picutres of the "inside". theresa