Building a Woods Coop for DLM in the Shenandoah Valley

[aart]

I don't have them in front of me, but I'd say the corrugations are about 1/2" deep,

Some pics would be great..and do you have the brand and model?

Best I can do right now is tack it down as best I can (with multiple 1" staples,) and see how it goes.

How does the manufacturer recommend you attach their product?
Not sure staples are the best choice.
I assume pneumatically driven, if your pressure is too high it could fracture the material.

 

[DoozyWombat]

Some pics would be great..and do you have the brand and model?
How does the manufacturer recommend you attach their product?
Not sure staples are the best choice.
I assume pneumatically driven, if your pressure is too high it could fracture the material.

Sigh. When all else fails, read the directions. They have special end caps that seal the corrugations perfectly, and special gasketed screws for attaching the roofing. They do staple down just fine, if I dial back to 80 psi, but temperature changes would cause problems. So I'm picking up the correct fasteners and end caps on the way home today.

It's a good thing you guys are here...

 

[Ted Brown]

@DoozyWombat

Do some price shopping. It may be less expensive to buy some sheets of OSB and put those down on top of the rafters then put the poly carbonate panels on top of the OSB, saves a bunch of fiddle and gives a waterproof result. If you go 1/2" or 5/8" OSB you could forgo the purloins and close up bits as well and then you do not have to worry about any critters getting in through the corrugations. If you have not bought the poly carbonate sheets (or could return them) buy some shingles and put those down to get the roof watertight.

 

[Ted Brown]

Rats can get in through a hole 5/8" or larger, mink can get in through a 1" hole, etc.

I suggest you figure out what predators you have in your area and then research to find out what you need to do to avoid them getting in.

 

[DoozyWombat]

Rats can get in through a hole 5/8" or larger, mink can get in through a 1" hole, etc.

I suggest you figure out what predators you have in your area and then research to find out what you need to do to avoid them getting in.

The end caps they make (and that I now have) completely fill the corrugations, so there will be nearly zero gap--about a millimeter, or less. In my area, I know I have hog snakes, rat snakes, black snakes, copperhead, timber rattlers, rats, and least weasels. I probably don't have mink, but it's possible. I do have skunk, opossum, raccoon, black bear, bobcat, coy-wolves, red fox, gray fox, and various aerial predators. I'm probably forgetting some, such as feral dogs and cats. The least weasel is probably able to get in a smaller crack than most rats. And it's a weasel, so I could lose the entire flock in one night.

I'm sure I'll have losses, but the strategy is basically (1) surround the poultry pasture with a good enough electric fence that very few of the predators will get through it at all, (2) keep the coop tight enough that none of the above can get in, and (3) use a solar-driven door to shut the flock in at night. The poultry pasture is about a half acre right now, planted with various chicken salad. It might expand, over time, and I might let the flock out of the pasture to free-range during the day, when I'm present.

If I'm missing anything else, please let me know.

And thanks!

 

[Alaskan]

Sounds great!

 

[jthornton]

A good hot wire setup is a very good first line of defense. I have 3 wires on my 5' chain link fence, one down low for little critters, one around 1' for larger sniffers like dogs and one just below the top for anything that might jump onto the fence and think about climbing up. Get a really hot fence charger like 1 joule or more.

JT

 

[DoozyWombat]

A good hot wire setup is a very good first line of defense. I have 3 wires on my 5' chain link fence, one down low for little critters, one around 1' for larger sniffers like dogs and one just below the top for anything that might jump onto the fence and think about climbing up. Get a really hot fence charger like 1 joule or more.
JT

I think you might have been the one who posted the excellent article on this. I ended up doing a bunch more research, but I have a Parmak SE 6, which produces 6.3 joules and claims to be a 50-mile energizer. I'm using 9-strand polywire, setting the bottom strand at 5", on the idea that any predator that could go under it will sniff it first. Other strands are at 12", 18", and 27". Again, I'm going on the advice that any predator (or deer) that would jump over it will probably sniff it first. It may not work that way, which is why I want the coop to be very secure.

The fence might be overkill, but if somebody comes after my flock, I really don't want them to misunderstand the message.

 

[jthornton]

Parmak SE 6, which produces 6.3 joules

That's a hot one. I've never used the polytape, I prefer the wire. Sounds like you also have a Chicken Fort Knox!

JT

 

[DoozyWombat]

That's a hot one. I've never used the polytape, I prefer the wire. Sounds like you also have a Chicken Fort Knox!
JT

I'm trying. I'll have to get some current pics up, if it stops raining. I still have to put the blocking in on three of the side panels, and frame the side with the doors.