- Thread starter
- #21
- Feb 2, 2010
- 23
- 0
- 22
Dear GSIM: Thanks for the thoughtful and thorough response. I'll tell you my reasons for the dimensions I'm building it and you tell me if they make sense.
The height from the ground is 3 feet so that I can clean out the the house easily without having to bend over, which is also why the depth is no more than 3 feet: this is a distance I can easily reach. Also, the space under it will be easier to rake out occasionally if it's not too short of a space. Why did you suggest making it only 2 feet under the house?
The height of the house being 3 feet is because there didn't seem to be any reason to make it higher. It also seemed easier to keep clean if I can reach the ceiling and all the corners. With about three feet of height, the roosts can be 18" off the floor and still easy to grab hens off their roosts if I need to. What was your reason in suggesting 5' for height of house?
The nests are built at the floor level by extending the floor beyond the fourth wall, which won't come down all the way, allowing for entrance into the nests.
I don't have the roof exactly figured out. I'm working with very little money, very few materials, limited tools, and no experience building anything besides basic bookshelves! Anyway, I know a shed roof will be much easier than a gabled roof. I was thinking of just having screening in the wedge-shaped sides above the walls and below the angled roof. These would be the west and eastern sides, which means the wind could really come through, but since it'd be up high, I think that'd be okay.
Btw, the predators I need to keep out are raccoons, possums, and skunks, probably rats too, but fortunately we don't have weasels in California!
Thanks for your advice and further thoughts,
Caju
The height from the ground is 3 feet so that I can clean out the the house easily without having to bend over, which is also why the depth is no more than 3 feet: this is a distance I can easily reach. Also, the space under it will be easier to rake out occasionally if it's not too short of a space. Why did you suggest making it only 2 feet under the house?
The height of the house being 3 feet is because there didn't seem to be any reason to make it higher. It also seemed easier to keep clean if I can reach the ceiling and all the corners. With about three feet of height, the roosts can be 18" off the floor and still easy to grab hens off their roosts if I need to. What was your reason in suggesting 5' for height of house?
The nests are built at the floor level by extending the floor beyond the fourth wall, which won't come down all the way, allowing for entrance into the nests.
I don't have the roof exactly figured out. I'm working with very little money, very few materials, limited tools, and no experience building anything besides basic bookshelves! Anyway, I know a shed roof will be much easier than a gabled roof. I was thinking of just having screening in the wedge-shaped sides above the walls and below the angled roof. These would be the west and eastern sides, which means the wind could really come through, but since it'd be up high, I think that'd be okay.
Btw, the predators I need to keep out are raccoons, possums, and skunks, probably rats too, but fortunately we don't have weasels in California!
Thanks for your advice and further thoughts,
Caju