doublecrossranch
Crowing
Forgive me if my brain doesn't make sense. I will try to keep my thoughts together. Forgive my spelling too.
Back story: My garden/run was originally made by the previous home owner and used for peacocks and guineas. It used to be twice as big and full of very poorly made open coops. The guy said they were fine, just a few frost bit combs. We took down half of the fencing and all the "coops".
We got our first chick in April of this year. The brooder is a wonderful brick commissary building so they are nice and safe, except for the flies. Dramatic eye roll.
We had a 7x12 metal coop built inside the garden/run. It has a very secure people door and chicken door. I covered the floor with vinyl tile. Nesting boxes with a roost bar in front but nothing to hold the nesting material in. Because the building is metal there are gaps every few inches along the floor letting in drafts. There is a 1/4" gap around the chicken door. The roof leaks if the wind is blowing hard when its raining. There are gaps around the windows too.
My goals: Eliminate drafts for this winter and have most of the hens lay through the winter.
My plans: Deep clean and start over
Poop boards with vinyl tile to start.
Once it gets cooler but up 6ml clear plastic around the main run to help block wind.
Put up interior walls or use spray foam in the gaps along the floor or both. Which would cover the gaps around the windows too.
Put up a board along the bottom of the nesting boxes to help hold the straw and eggs in.
Put sand and pdz on the poop board
Mix sweet pdz and pine shavings 2-4" on the floor.
Concerns: I don't know what to do about the roof to keep the snow from blowing in.
Do I put a new better fitting chicken door in or clear vinyl strips? Will the chickens go through the strips?
Will the interior walls be enough to keep my babies warm?
What do I do about the gap under the coop? I thought about surrounding the coop with hay bales.
Back story: My garden/run was originally made by the previous home owner and used for peacocks and guineas. It used to be twice as big and full of very poorly made open coops. The guy said they were fine, just a few frost bit combs. We took down half of the fencing and all the "coops".
We got our first chick in April of this year. The brooder is a wonderful brick commissary building so they are nice and safe, except for the flies. Dramatic eye roll.
We had a 7x12 metal coop built inside the garden/run. It has a very secure people door and chicken door. I covered the floor with vinyl tile. Nesting boxes with a roost bar in front but nothing to hold the nesting material in. Because the building is metal there are gaps every few inches along the floor letting in drafts. There is a 1/4" gap around the chicken door. The roof leaks if the wind is blowing hard when its raining. There are gaps around the windows too.
My goals: Eliminate drafts for this winter and have most of the hens lay through the winter.
My plans: Deep clean and start over
Poop boards with vinyl tile to start.
Once it gets cooler but up 6ml clear plastic around the main run to help block wind.
Put up interior walls or use spray foam in the gaps along the floor or both. Which would cover the gaps around the windows too.
Put up a board along the bottom of the nesting boxes to help hold the straw and eggs in.
Put sand and pdz on the poop board
Mix sweet pdz and pine shavings 2-4" on the floor.
Concerns: I don't know what to do about the roof to keep the snow from blowing in.
Do I put a new better fitting chicken door in or clear vinyl strips? Will the chickens go through the strips?
Will the interior walls be enough to keep my babies warm?
What do I do about the gap under the coop? I thought about surrounding the coop with hay bales.
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back door.jpg103.3 KB · Views: 44
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boxes.jpg88.9 KB · Views: 28
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chicken coop.JPG194.4 KB · Views: 31
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chickens treaets.jpg153.7 KB · Views: 30
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coop door.jpg61.9 KB · Views: 27
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coop gap.jpg168.4 KB · Views: 27
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coop lock.jpg26 KB · Views: 26
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front door.jpg111.4 KB · Views: 26
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front gap.jpg133.6 KB · Views: 26
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full coop.jpg101.3 KB · Views: 27
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garden.jpg162.3 KB · Views: 28
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gate door.jpg130.1 KB · Views: 28
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lock.jpg26 KB · Views: 27
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north.jpg136.6 KB · Views: 25
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roasts.jpg76.1 KB · Views: 27
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run door 1.jpg125.3 KB · Views: 28
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run door 2.jpg106.1 KB · Views: 25
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side gap.jpg147.6 KB · Views: 28
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vent door.jpg81.1 KB · Views: 27
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vent.jpg65.8 KB · Views: 28
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west.jpg114.8 KB · Views: 28