Master question thread

[aart]

Why is hardware cloth so difficult to work with!?

I find HC easier to work with when it's rolled out on a hard, flat surface.
My concrete garage floor worked great, used jugs/buckets filled with water to hold things down where necessary.
It takes some practice tho, I was great at it by the time I was done....see My Coop Page I put up a lot of HC, most of it by myself.

The right cutting tools help too.
.....good tin snips
Bend over pointy edges with one of these

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thank you very much for the help, I will check out those links. my problem though, I think, is that I am trying to wrap it around the pool and tie to the green welded wire but it keeps rolling back up. I perhaps should have just gotten some spare wood (we have plenty) and made a wood frame, especially as even with this larger pool I am sure they will outgrow it very fast. I am also having trouble as I've been at this a couple days now (because I keep giving up and going inside) whereas I was supposed to have them moved out. I am thinking though that I will have to go change the bedding even if I don't move them as I was going to move them so have not again but obviously this has been delayed. Plus two rolls are shorter but more of it so I really don't know what the answer is. Perhaps scrap and start over but I really would like to get them moved out ASAP. And the tools make me nervous ha

Here are some pictures of what I'm trying to do.

Tying them together with the wire it comes wrapped with. Another reason I quit as it's easy enough but just a huuuuugeee pain in the rear.

I guess maybe I shall suck it and up and just go do it but it seems futile. Need a door anyhow. I would just leave the welded wire but concerns about mice. Is there a better way?

ALSO.

Now that they are getting older (will be two weeks on Monday), it seems that their water and food gets dirty near instantly now. They used to be so good about keeping it clean and not stepping in it and after a day or two there would be some shavings in it but not many but now they climb in it and it seems that same day, even mere hours or.minutes later, and there are TONS of shavings in the water and sometimes poop. food has shavings too. food was recommended to be taken off bricks as littles and water is on bricks. perhaps it is time to put the food back on bricks and put the waterer higher, like up on more bricks? It's one brick level now. I don't want to be CONSTANTLY changing it but I also don't want them to get sick.... -_-

 

[aart]

That looks fine.
Mice can go thru or climb over it.
Put feed/water up on blocks/bricks as the chicks grow.

When I use fencing like that in a circle, I overlap the ends by about a foot or so and it stays shut, thus creating a 'door'.
You can cut loose one wire the bend over to keep it shut.
The circular shape is really rather stable, I make day pens all the time like that...just one or two stakes into the ground to anchor it.

 

[ShrekDawg]

That looks fine.
Mice can go thru or climb over it.
Put feed/water up on blocks/bricks as the chicks grow.

When I use fencing like that in a circle, I overlap the ends by about a foot or so and it stays shut, thus creating a 'door'.
You can cut loose one wire the bend over to keep it shut.
The circular shape is really rather stable, I make day pens all the time like that...just one or two stakes into the ground to anchor it.

Thank you for your help!! The mice were exactly what I was concerned about, hence the hardware cloth and likely a roof (assuming they can climb up and over?), but maybe there is something better or easier than the hardware cloth?

That door thing sounds good though, I will have to try that. And yeah, I was surprised by how easily it stayed up.

As for the food and water, I'll definitely have to start putting it on more and more bricks, we have plenty of them.

 

[twisted-acres-farm]

Quote:
the grey duct works well also and tends to last/ stay stuck a little longer.

 

[ShrekDawg]

the grey duct works well also and tends to last/ stay stuck a little longer. 

We just bought some duct tape the other day so may use that. although mine doesn't seem to stick too well. have it stuck to cardboard and it seems to come undone and.had it on a pillow case seem and it ended up coming undone and trapping a chick. that was partially my fault though as it was a middle seam pillow case and.another chick had gone.up day before but i assumed the duct tape would hold strong. Was wrong about that. Little chicky went in apparently and I checked back, found she was missing, found her in the.pillow case (and another chick followed me in while i rescued her ha) and so I pulled MHP out to get her out and found that the duct tapr had not.only come undone but also twisted and was stuck on her wing. Poor thing. thankfully I only had the pad on 2 though as they're currently inside or I am sure she would have been burned. At first I stupidly ttied to pull and got one small part off (and.some down) but I immediately realized that pulling was BAD and had my mom get some olive oil and then the main part that was stuck (caude the other was just a little piece twisted on top) came right off after getting some olive oil on top of the wing, op tape, and down in between wing and tape. Came right off. Before I found this one.another also had a small piece of tape on her back that I foolishly just pulled off as this was before I thought of the oil idea. Never again. Luckily though both chicks are doing fine and no worse for the wear. I also immediately found a pillow case with an end opening rather than middle AND it zips so super success. I really really do not understand why the tape didn't stick though. We used to have duct tape and it was impossible to get off. This was just ordinary kind, not outdoor or extra strength (though we did also buy outdoor. Will try that and maybe buy extra strength) but it IS the actual "duck tape" brand or whatever, not a knock off. They also apparently have Gorilla tape so maybe will try that. Was amazed the duct didn't stick though and.it hardly feels sticky. Very odd.

 

[mcbrown7513]

We just bought some duct tape the other day so may use that. although mine doesn't seem to stick too well. have it stuck to cardboard and it seems to come undone and.had it on a pillow case seem and it ended up coming undone and trapping a chick. that was partially my fault though as it was a middle seam pillow case and.another chick had gone.up day before but i assumed the duct tape would hold strong. Was wrong about that. Little chicky went in apparently and I checked back, found she was missing, found her in the.pillow case (and another chick followed me in while i rescued her ha) and so I pulled MHP out to get her out and found that the duct tapr had not.only come undone but also twisted and was stuck on her wing. Poor thing. thankfully I only had the pad on 2 though as they're currently inside or I am sure she would have been burned. At first I stupidly ttied to pull and got one small part off (and.some down) but I immediately realized that pulling was BAD and had my mom get some olive oil and then the main part that was stuck (caude the other was just a little piece twisted on top) came right off after getting some olive oil on top of the wing, op tape, and down in between wing and tape. Came right off. Before I found this one.another also had a small piece of tape on her back that I foolishly just pulled off as this was before I thought of the oil idea. Never again. Luckily though both chicks are doing fine and no worse for the wear. I also immediately found a pillow case with an end opening rather than middle AND it zips so super success. I really really do not understand why the tape didn't stick though. We used to have duct tape and it was impossible to get off. This was just ordinary kind, not outdoor or extra strength (though we did also buy outdoor. Will try that and maybe buy extra strength) but it IS the actual "duck tape" brand or whatever, not a knock off. They also apparently have Gorilla tape so maybe will try that. Was amazed the duct didn't stick though and.it hardly feels sticky. Very odd.

I built a main run and a brooding pen using HC. The tools were a set of diagnal cutters and a pair of pliers. When I needed to join ends, I bent "loose" ends into hooks and then crimped them down when connected. Round is a very stable construct. I raise my food onto cinder blocks to keep my hens and food out of their food and water. Good luck.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I built a main run and a brooding pen using HC. The tools were a set of diagnal cutters and a pair of pliers. When I needed to join ends, I bent "loose" ends into hooks and then crimped them down when connected. Round is a very stable construct. I raise my food onto cinder blocks to keep my hens and food out of their food and water. Good luck.

That sounds like a good idea! I feel like maybe I'm just not using the right tools then or something. Will try other ones then. And yeah, it seems really stable so far. That's a great idea! No cinder blocks unfortunately though so I just added some more bricks so up to two brick level now for water and one for food (it was ground level before) and it's going well so far but I just out it in so we'll see. It was a little high for some of them though so I put bricks on each side and of the water almost and now they can all reach it and no shavings in it so far. though it was kind of high and I only had bricks on two sides so some flew up and perched on it to drink lol and two looked a little confused and were trying to access it from the non brick so I put another brick over there as it seemed to be the most popular side lol

 

[mcbrown7513]

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. My good and water are just at neck height. They stretch to get to it, but are happy. And little foreign matter for me to worry about. Also, I keep their food/water under cover. No wild birds in it that way. And my birds free range about half of the daylight hours. I live in south Mississippi. Good luck being a poultry parent.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. My good and water are just at neck height. They stretch to get to it, but are happy. And little foreign matter for me to worry about. Also, I keep their food/water under cover. No wild birds in it that way. And my birds free range about half of the daylight hours. I live in south Mississippi. Good luck being a poultry parent.

Thank you! That's definitely good to know. I had the water at neck height before with the one brick level but they grow so fast that it has been too low lately so finally added more bricks.lol a couple can stretch and reach it but now I have bricks on all sides so most just climb on the bricks now. And now I can take the sort of "step stool" bricks out when they grow before I put 3 bricks up but by then maybe I could hang it. Food I think is neck height now but not sure. Putting it.under cover seems like a.good idea. They're in the bathroom right now then are moving to the garage (hopefully in a matter of days) so no worry with the birds yet (though mice so I'm making it secure when they move) but when they grow up I will be.sure to make it hidden and secure. I was planning on hanging it from under the coop inside the run. However, I also plan on free ranging during the day so I am sure the birds will fly into the run, never thought of that before. Seems like it's warm there? And thank you again. it's been fun so far though they grow so fast hah