Coop bedding/litter options

[flyin-lowe]

Quote:
Originally Posted by DreamsInPink

@flyin-lowe
Thank you very much for the pictures. You really DO have lots of ventilation. I really like your two big windows.. the way they open. You can leave them open even if it's raining. I was planning on doing a couple that way, but I really wanted a shutter style in the front... more because I really like how they look.

My bf has pegboard that he wants to use to cover the openings in the eaves. Would that work? Instead of hardware cloth?

@ChickenMammx4
Thank you for the picture! I'm planning on doing the stair step roosts, (not sure the proper term for that) instead of all one height like yours. But I'm still really thinking of doing a droppings board or hammock. And possibly having a large door cut out of the wall at the bottom under the roosts so I can stand outside and rake it out when I clean it. I'm definitely planning on investing in some PDZ as well.

@oldhenlikesdogs
My floors are deck planking. But we are wanting to cover it with vinyl flooring, to make it easier to clean.

I guess that would depend on what type of peg board it is. All of the beg board I have ever seen is some type of composite material that appears to be some type of compressed paper almost like cardboard. It is tougher then that but it has a paper quality to it. If it is that type of peg board I would not use it because the moisture would ruin it in no time. Since I don't know what type of peg board he has its hard to say if it will work. As long as it can hold up to the elements then the holes in a peg board would allow some air in. Not as much air flow as HC but it would allow air flow.

 

[DreamsInPink]

I guess that would depend on what type of peg board it is.  All of the beg board I have ever seen is some type of composite material that appears to be some type of compressed paper almost like cardboard.  It is tougher then that but it has a paper quality to it.  If it is that type of peg board I would not use it because the moisture would ruin it in no time.  Since I don't know what type of peg board he has its hard to say if it will work.  As long as it can hold up to the elements then the holes in a peg board would allow some air in.  Not as much air flow as HC but it would allow air flow.

Yeah, that's what I thought too. He's really hard to deal with once he gets something in his head. He said we can paint it, to make it more resistant to moisture. Personally, I'd much rather use hardware cloth... we'll see. It depends on how stubborn he is on the subject.

 

[Ballerina Bird]

Yeah, that's what I thought too. He's really hard to deal with once he gets something in his head. He said we can paint it, to make it more resistant to moisture. Personally, I'd much rather use hardware cloth... we'll see. It depends on how stubborn he is on the subject.

I would definitely back you up on this one. I really think the best way to keep chickens healthy, and keep the coop pleasant and sanitary for you to deal with, is to keep the environment super duper dry, so anything that really wants to retain moisture should not be part of the structure. Moisture will come not only from the weather and exterior environment but also from the chickens themselves and their poop at night in the coop.

Hardware cloth is expensive and a pain to deal with, it's true, but it works really well for the needs of chicken keepers.

 

[DreamsInPink]

It being expensive is the issue. We are about maxed out as far as budget on the coop. And I think we still need to buy some 2 x 4s for the roosts.

I'm still trying to work through how we are doing the windows too. I was just going to do windows with hardware cloth on them, and then shutters on the outside... but I realized after seeing someone else's design, that that isn't going to let any light in when those shutters are closed. :/ Grrrr. So I don't know.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We leave our Windows open all summer long. Hardware cloth on them is a really great investment. Later in the year you can buy some plexiglass and make some winter windows out of cheap lumber, that can be put in and removed depending on the season. That's what we do, and you don't have to worry about glass being broken by a chicken or bird flying into it.

 

[Leigti]

Do you have a place in your town where you can go buy used building materials? I got a bunch of windows cheap. Add a re-purpose store here. They had all different sizes and types. So I got some that open just like every window does and I put hardware cloth behind it and took out the screens. And the other one is just a wood framed window that can be propped open in the summer. I will get you some pictures of them later today hopefully.
Hardware cloth is wonderful stuff, it is very difficult to deal with, buy some good gloves but it is worth it in the Long run Do it once and do it right. Beats having to redo it later.

 

[DreamsInPink]

I don't know if we have a place like that close or not... but I just remembered, I am pretty sure we have some plexiglass in my bf's work shop!!

@Leigti
I'd love to see some pictures!! Thank you!

@oldhenlikesdogs
Hey lady!! How are you? What about when it rains? Do you have trouble with a lot of rain coming in the open windows in the summer?

 

[flyin-lowe]

What all were you wanting to cover with peg board? If you are just talking about the opening of the eaves it shouldn't cost much at all to cover those. I would guess you could find someone with that amount in scrap.

 

[Leigti]

It's not done yet but here it is so far.

 

[Leigti]

I really prefer the wood framed windows but I went function over beauty for these two. I have a third one that is actually tinted, which will work good for the south side of the coop. I'll get a picture of it later. It is wood framed.