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

[Beekissed]

It won't matter if they sunbathe or not, they still have a quick get away there~it would only take one time of a hawk diving at them on the new platform before they were forever wary. That's the beauty of having a savvy, free range flock...they aren't placid and slow like the coop and run crowd.

Making an A-frame structure only makes it more susceptible to catching the wind. On the parts of your pen on which you are trying to fasten tarps, making a hoop arch over that area with cattle panels and fastening the tarps down tightly to that arch will shed the rain and snow and also save your tarp from wear and tear of wind friction.

 

[armorfirelady]

I never thought of that -- a hidey-structure. Genius!
I kept re-fastening my old sheets over part of the chicken pen as the wind undid knots and ropes as soon as I re-tied them. Even a fairly light wind put a lot of force on them.
I suspect my flock would end up sunbathing on top the hideyhole as tasty sunbaked treats for the hawks. . . . but I'm going to make one anyway and see what the chickens do with it.

I was thinking of stapling my tarp down onto the pallet. FIgured that way it wouldnt flap after that.

 

[galefrances]

On the parts of your pen on which you are trying to fasten tarps, making a hoop arch over that area with cattle panels and fastening the tarps down tightly to that arch will shed the rain and snow and also save your tarp from wear and tear of wind friction.

I'm having a problem with tarps on the top of my run. My husband air stapled the tarps over wire into the wood frame, but we're in a wind tunnel here, lots of open land, and nothing will keep this from ripping off. We also have a problem with water collecting on top (forgot about making a pitch). I like your idea of a hoop arch. Sounds much easier than my husband trying to build a roof. But what are cattle panels?

 

[Leahs Mom]

On the parts of your pen on which you are trying to fasten tarps, making a hoop arch over that area with cattle panels and fastening the tarps down tightly to that arch will shed the rain and snow and also save your tarp from wear and tear of wind friction.

Bee...when you use cattle panels do you just get the ones from a farm supply or tractor supply....

Or is there some fancy-pants place to get them? I need to make a hoop top piece here soon so wondering where's the best place to get them.

 

[Beekissed]

TSC or any feed and supply store usually have them. They average around $23 per 4 ft. x 15 or 16 ft. panel. You can cut them with a hacksaw, sawsall or with bolt cutters but not normally with wire cutters.

 

[Goober1201]

do you have any pictures?

 

[Beekissed]

Sure...



This is two panels side by side and nailed to lumber.



And formed into the bones of a coop:

 

[Goober1201]

AND WHY DID I NEVER THINK OF THAT!!!!

 

[Beekissed]

Farm and country folk are a little more familiar with cattle and hog panels...but even I didn't use them to their full potential until the past 6 years or so.

 

[NotAFarm]

http://tsc.tractorsupply.com/search?w=cattle+panel

Here is the link to the Tractor Supply website page that shows the different sizes of panels.
I watch for the 50" x 16 foot ones to be on sale for $19.99. I get them home the same way as Bee...arched in the pickup.
Here is how I use mine........no cattle here since it is "NotAFarm".........

as a trellis for clematis and roses......




...as the "ribs" of a greenhouse....



...a closeup of how to attached plastic or tarps so they won't tear off...old hoses and screws along edges and eye screws with a rope tied from side to side to stop the middle from "bouncing" in the wind.......