Keep those pictures coming! I can understand about the affordability of the rubber mats, they are NOT cheap but sure save the wear and tear on my wooden floor.
I've never seen that mat material, thanks! It's still a bit pricey for me to use, I think. I might do that if the coop had been the size I originally planned, but DH had bigger ideas. This coop is already costing more than I wanted it to, though at the price of a gallon of gas and the gas-sucking properties of our pickup truck we haul materials in, it's not going to save us anything to run around looking for free stuff. Home construction is down or we might be able to get stuff at log home sites like we have in the past, though we can't get full size 2x4s and full sheets of plywood like we needed at dumpsters.
DH got lots of trim pieces and stuff to cover the vents with (aluminum gutter guards work great), so after he has a new exhaust installed on his truck tomorrow, we may be able to get more done, weather permitting.
Quote:
Ah but a good coat of paint is pretty darned good too.
.... Im doin dirt... heh heh. Though I am thinking of folding under wire and setting those stall mats on top. For the digging critters. Open air coop... desert location different appliction for sure. Nothing BUT Ventilation...
I am not finding fault or anything since I really like the new Chicken house but is there going to be enough Cross ventilation for your chickens? You have done a beautiful job of the house and it really looks great. Just asking. Keep sending pictures, I want to see the final project. Yours is WAY better than mine!
Trust me, I'm all about ventilation--built a few coops already, five I think. No, I'm not ready to call it a day with ventilation.
I told DH that today. We have vents that open and close that you put in basement concrete block walls and haven't installed one yet, but I have three I could install. Of course there is the end window that will have hardware cloth hinged screen inside so it can stay at least partially open most of the time. And there is an opening at the top of the wall all the way down the 12' length of the coop, too, where you see the screening. I'm still thinking about how else we can ventilate.
There is ventilation all across the entire back pf the coop that is between every roof rafter tail, plus two good sized ones in the soffit area, one goes up into the little loft area and one into the front storage area. I may even put a small window in the end wall next to the human size door, but haven't found one that would work.
Quote:
Yes, in front of the coop and covered, either by just fencing or by some sort of panels. Has to have a top on it so the little lightweights don't fly out.