Colorado

[wsmith]

We have straw in our coops, with lots of ventilation. Hardly any smell at all, and no dust. It is about 3 inches deep right now.

How much does the hail netting cost?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

This is such a cool photo...

 

[Newchiknmomma]

To WendyGeisler.....your set up looks pretty cool!! Great ideas!! Where did you get your hail netting?
We have a couple of evergreen trees in our run that the pullets have been staying under during the day, so they have been ok. I have been putting ice cubes in their water and giving them lots of very moist kitchen scraps. One of them, don't know which one has pretty dry stools. They all know how to drink from the chicken nipple waterer so not sure how to encourage them to drink more. Like some of you said, we water their yard at night to encourage the grass to grow and it tends to keep it cooler during the day. Today seems much cooler but windy. We put a tarp on one side of the coop that shades the inside of the a frame..the roost is over the 10 x 4 base of the coop and that also gives them some relief from the heat.
We are looking for a chicken sitter on the east side of town out by powers and barnes just so we can go away overnight sometimes and in October we have a trip planned to Washington for at least a week so need to find someone dependable. We have a good fence around our back yard but don't want to leave the girls door open at night just in case.
So sorry for those of you who have lost birds. It was traumatic enough having to find a home for our roo.
Take care out there...

 

[WendyGeisler]

HI
I got the hail netting from American Clayworks in Denver.
Their number is 303-534-4044. It comes in 29 feet wide by whatever
# of feet you order. It was about 3 dollars a foot (by 29 feet wide).
I only showed pictures of 1/3 of my garden, but our whole backyard is
covered witht he hail net!
I do take it down in the fall

 

[wsmith]

Thats actually not a bad price. How long does it hold up?

 

[gardendufus]

Do you think we should give them the space under the coop as well? The run right now is 6x6', and the coop would give them an extra 4x4' in the shade. I want to give them all we can but the man of the house thinks what they have already in the run is good enough.

Well, If it were me I would definitely give them the space under the coop. It will provide a covered, shady area outside for them to dust bathe and get out of the heat, without staying in the coop.

Did I say to help get out of the heat? Any shady area you can provide them helps, and this is a natural shady area, no good to you for anything else. Throw some hardware cloth around that raised coop and donate it to the girls.

Edited later to make it look like I went to school.

 

[WendyGeisler]

Thats actually not a bad price. How long does it hold up?

well this is our second year using it and it is in the exact same shape, so I am hoping for 10 years
Here are some pictures from a hail storm last summer.

 

[gardendufus]

I forgot to say how great your coop looks. It does.

 

[wsmith]

For you Rock: Narragansett poults at 6 weeks

 

[kkd7777]

I would love to buy him! Is he still available?