Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[BWKatz]

Speckled hen I bet that's pretty...and ya'll say u don't spoil the girls.

I reckon I'll be painting the inside too.

I just have to finish the soffits and roosts before they can go in.

 

[bobbi-j]

The inside of my coop is painted. Not for disinfection purposes, or mites, but because my coop is also made of OSB and I didn't want any moisture to ruin it. The windows of my coop are open all summer so sometimes it rains in there if the wind is blowing hard enough. Mine is (er, rather, WAS) white on the inside and it is nice and bright in the winter with the sun shining in the south windows.

 

[speckledhen]

Bobbi, moisture protection is another great reason to paint the interior, agreed. And wet poop can't soak into untreated wood, as it tends to do when it gets splattered on walls from the roost. How on earth do they sling poop? Amazing, but they sure do!

 

[perchie.girl]

I personally think painting inside and out is a good idea. If you can do it. Even just for a one time deal. Especially if you are not starting out with Aged wood. It helps keep the wood straight and seal imperfections from moisture and insects.

If I were starting out with re-purposed wood like from an old barn I would seal it with something like Thompson's Water seal against moisture. Because I do so love the character in old wood. And yep even here in the desert where humid days are few and far between. Dry air is just as bad for wood as too much moisture.... I have a dining room chair that just cracked in half.... right down the middle. And it was solid Oak and varnished. I didn't keep up with the lemon oil sigh.

deb "who prefers plywood to OSB"

 

[Gypsi]

I love this thread.

FWIW, all of my interior coop walls are painted. Not all exteriors ever got it, but all of the interiors did. For cleaning / disinfection purposes, plain old white Kilz 2 latex. I keep meaning to paint the outside of the nest box side, but I've been "putting out fires" whether it was trucks or plumbing or bees or garden or ordinary business for all of 2011. And with a drought on, it hasn't rotted out yet.

Slowly finishing out the electrical. Had to disassemble what a friend helped me with 3 years ago, to check his work, (I'd never made the circuit live), and I am so glad I checked. The outlet that is sparking is my regular one in the office, but until I get the fish room off that circuit, I can't open the wall safely to drop in a dedicated circuit. This is why I spent 3 months in electrical classes this spring. I need to add 4 20 amp circuits, my old wiring is approximately safe, 2 strand no ground, but not up to a modern appliance load. With the fish room plus the office on one circuit, after I moved the reef in there, I believe I'm pushing overload.

My computer geek got shocked when he came to set up my network Monday, I got no network, and he's not coming back til the computer has a grounded circuit. So ye olde computer is on ye olde extension cord to another circuit this morning. And I will be getting the bare bones of circuits up. I can be online to post about once a day for a few days. I can view the site from my cell, but not log in and reply very easily.

I and my helper re-plumbed my house in October. Plumber bid $2200 - I paid him a fee for his estimate and sent him packing. Yes, for those of us who are calamity jane, a knowledge of tools is required.

OK, I bought Wazine and read it. It says NOT to use on layers producing eggs for human consumption. I'm going to use it anyway, just feed them back their eggs for how long? For right now I'm holding off on cayenne, I don't want them to lay, I want them to get healthy.

Gypsi

 

[ChickenCanoe]

perchie.girl :

deb "who prefers plywood to OSB"

I prefer plywood too but it's at least 4 times the cost of OSB so I'm stuck with OSB most times.

Quote:
If you feed the eggs back to them it will extend the withdrawal period because you'll be (ever so slightly, but still) continuously medicating them. I'd just compost the eggs. That's just me.

And, just my opinion but, I can't think of a scientific reason chili seeds would boost production. Are they good for them? Yes, but boost production? I would have to compare 2 identical flocks fed identically except for 1 getting peppers and if there was a production boost, only then would I be convinced. Sounds more anecdotal than tried and true.​

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I prefer plywood too but it's at least 4 times the cost of OSB so I'm stuck with OSB most times.

Quote:
If you feed the eggs back to them it will extend the withdrawal period because you'll be (ever so slightly, but still) continuously medicating them. I'd just compost the eggs. That's just me.

And, just my opinion but, I can't think of a scientific reason chili seeds would boost production. Are they good for them? Yes, but boost production? I would have to compare 2 identical flocks fed identically except for 1 getting peppers and if there was a production boost, only then would I be convinced. Sounds more anecdotal than tried and true.

Oh I understand... And there is a good place for OSB and as long as people understand it needs to be protected from moisture....

I get plywood at a Roofers supply company. I found it to be about a third the cost from a chain store. It will be exterior grade not pretty but very sound. My experience lies with having to replace one inch thick sub floor through out the house because it was built with OSB. When i bought my house I bought land only the house is not "permitted". The only thing that kept me from falling through the bathroom floor was the linoleum. The next room to get gutted will be the Kitchen. The floors are not soft yet but they are wavy.

Another source for plywood is old Garage doors. Talk to a garage door company and you will find that when they pull down an old plywood door to put up a metal one they pretty much trash the old one. I had one fellow give me five single car garage doors a few years back. 5/8 plywood mostly painted mostly in good shape all with structural wood holding them together I only had to stand them up and fasten them to uprights to make one wall for my coop.

a Two car garage door is sixteen feet wide and approximately seven +- feet tall. thats alot of plywood. And there are reinforcing rods across the bottom that can be used for other stuff. They are designed to be used like a turn buckle great for giving lateral strength for stuff. It takes two people to handle them though. I can stand a one car up but getting it someplace is an exercise in creativity. Used the truck and lots of dragging.

deb

 

[bobbi-j]

Quote:
I prefer plywood too but it's at least 4 times the cost of OSB so I'm stuck with OSB most times.

Quote:
If you feed the eggs back to them it will extend the withdrawal period because you'll be (ever so slightly, but still) continuously medicating them. I'd just compost the eggs. That's just me.

And, just my opinion but, I can't think of a scientific reason chili seeds would boost production. Are they good for them? Yes, but boost production? I would have to compare 2 identical flocks fed identically except for 1 getting peppers and if there was a production boost, only then would I be convinced. Sounds more anecdotal than tried and true.

Cost is the reason I have OSB, too. Coop has siding on the outside. It was left over from when we sided our shop. Shingles were left over from when we did our house.

This may be stating the obvious, but maybe the connection between cayenne pepper and egg production is that it kills the worms, resulting in increased production? This would most likely take a few days, though, rather than happening overnight. Just a thought. It's nice in my world. Things are simple like that.

 

[oldcrowfarm]

Just a quick word from super-newbie....Don't EVER end this thread! I am only on page 52, but Lordy, am I learning a bunch! I was getting afraid that I was in over my head wanting chickens at first, after reading a few posts elsewhere, but HERE, I am getting the straight skinny-now I feel like I really CAN do this!! I am still in the planning/research stages of my chicken-dom, but now I know some of WHAT to plan for, too.

Thanks so much, OT's-your invaluable wisdom is more help that you will ever know. Just wanted to say it, in case we forget to tell you often enough.

I won't ask any questions until I finish reading this whole thread, but forewarned is forearmed!!!

And thanks for the straight talk.

Sybil

 

[babymakes6]

Sybil!