A little help here? (Crooked post and to roof, or not to roof?)

[K8thagr8]

Oh, hello! I'm at a bit of a stalling point with a couple of areas on our run.

1. One of our posts either wasn't leveled or has shifted, and it's got the gate all funky. I'm not sure if we should dig out the concrete on that post and re-set it, setting us back a while to finish the run, or if there's another solution that I'm not thinking of.
   
2. The "roof". Do we add anything at all? How, with that palm tree and the concrete wall? What do we use for it? Do we just run string? I've heard that hawks would need a bit of a horizontal clearance to do any damage. We have lots of red tailed hawks in our community, but would rope keep them out? What about other predators? We definitely have coyotes, and I'm sure opossums, rats, and other furry four-leggeds. Obviously rope wouldn't deter any of those guys. If we do more hardware cloth, what do we attach it to on the wall-side? HELP!!!!!

We have friends who are downsizing their flock and are giving us two of their egg layers, so we have some time, but I don't want to string them along (no pun intended!!). I'd like to get the show on the road, but I'd rather have it all done the right way.

Here are some pictures of our little work in progress. Before we get our girls, I'm going to go through and staple with the super long u-shaped staples. I didn't know the regular (albeit longer) staples weren't predator-proof until a week or so ago. I appreciate any advice. I certainly don't want to bring any little loves into our home and not have them fully protected! Thanks for your time and help!

 

[cavemanrich]

I don't see the post to be very much off. Its up you if you can live with that slight cosmetic flaw. There is a way to move it in direction desired without digging it out. Dig around it especially in the desired direction of travel needed. and then push into desired level position, and fill in dirt.
If you use long staples, and enough of them,,,,,,, then the hardware cloth is secure enough. I myself have used 1 inch pneumatic staples, and was not able to pull out very easily. Needed a small crow bar to do so. A raccoon does not come equipped with a small crow bar.
For the overhead, you can use same hardware cloth stapled to 2 x 4s. You can also use nylon netting. It will protect from flying raptors. Raccoons usually do attempt to enter at ground level. If too difficult,,,,, then they may search something easier somewhere else.
Make sure that your chickens are locked up inside coop for the night. That is usually the time when most, but not all predators are active.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,, and

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Welcome to BYC!!! Glad you could join the Flock! Let me know if you need anything!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Oh, hello! I'm at a bit of a stalling point with a couple of areas on our run.

1. One of our posts either wasn't leveled or has shifted, and it's got the gate all funky. I'm not sure if we should dig out the concrete on that post and re-set it, setting us back a while to finish the run, or if there's another solution that I'm not thinking of.
   
2. The "roof". Do we add anything at all? How, with that palm tree and the concrete wall? What do we use for it? Do we just run string? I've heard that hawks would need a bit of a horizontal clearance to do any damage. We have lots of red tailed hawks in our community, but would rope keep them out? What about other predators? We definitely have coyotes, and I'm sure opossums, rats, and other furry four-leggeds. Obviously rope wouldn't deter any of those guys. If we do more hardware cloth, what do we attach it to on the wall-side? HELP!!!!!

We have friends who are downsizing their flock and are giving us two of their egg layers, so we have some time, but I don't want to string them along (no pun intended!!). I'd like to get the show on the road, but I'd rather have it all done the right way.

Here are some pictures of our little work in progress. Before we get our girls, I'm going to go through and staple with the super long u-shaped staples. I didn't know the regular (albeit longer) staples weren't predator-proof until a week or so ago. I appreciate any advice. I certainly don't want to bring any little loves into our home and not have them fully protected! Thanks for your time and help!

Something similar happened when I was building my run.One of my boards was not straight, so I ended up screwing on a 1 inch thick board to the side of the crooked board to make everything square. I covered my mistake and the little gap in between the boards with a piece of bender board, so my mistake doesn’t show.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Oh my goodness! What post/board wasn't off in my coop! Lol! I made it from all recycled materials, and not one piece of it wasn't warped. I would just add that extra board SurferchickinSB suggests. I was so disappointed when I finished my wonky little coop, but it works, and my chickens don't care one bit.

I think your set up looks awesome! If you are worried about staples, I used nails with washers to attach the hardware cloth to my coop. It worked beautifully! I got that suggestion from someone here on BYC - can't for the life of me remember who.

As for a roof... Considering your area's predators, I'd go with hardware cloth. You could attach it to your run and build some sort of support along your concrete wall to which you could attach the hardware cloth - maybe a 2x4 frame of sorts? Attach 2x4s to your posts and run them along the top with a few butted up against the wall for support, maybe.

The tree is a problem, I agree. Palm trees move a lot in wind. Putting anything around it would be difficult, for sure. I don't have a solution for that other than maybe build the run around it. That's a toughie. I am the absolute furthest thing from an expert. I hope someone else chimes in.

We just had our palm tree taken down a couple of weeks ago. No more palm fronds all over the yard, roof, neighbors' yards, the street... Just sayin'....

 

[K8thagr8]

You all are so sweet! Thanks for the advice help, and sweet welcomes.

Okay, I'm imagining the roof now. I couldn't figure out how to string it across, but a set of 2x4s would work. Our friends who are giving us their chickens don't have a roof over their run, but they don't live on a very busy street, and have a much bigger yard, so we have different obstacles.

The post being crooked causes the gate to be wonky. I hope these pictures help. If I line up one side, the other side of the gate it way off both at the top and bottom. It makes me cringe just looking at it.

I lined this one up on the right side which is not the side the hinge goes on, but it's off by the same regardless of what since I line it up by. As you can see, the right is nice. The left has had too many margaritas.

 

[cavemanrich]

What is important ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, is as long as your chickens do not ESCAPE.
I suggest you get a case of these for your self and when you are chillin with your chickens,,,,,,,,,, you will not notice the post imperfection.

 

[K8thagr8]

so attach a latch where the door lines up?

 

[cavemanrich]

so attach a latch where the door lines up?

Thats what I would do.
Remember, that if it really bothers you,,,,,, or you run out of "JOSE" you can reposition post later.

 

[LizStreithorst]

I could live with it myself because I'm a rank amateur. None of my construction is exactly perfect. But except for this one flaw, yours is perfection.

Why not muscle the errant 2X4 to where you want it and nail or screw a 2 X 4 between the hinged piece and the piece with the latch.