EXPANDING THE COOP

[joleneschix]

Ok so, I am expanding my coop. Lucky for me that my coop is only part of a larger building. Half of the larger building is my coop and the other half is an unfinished play house for my kids. Now that I am chicken crazy I am kicking the kids out of their unfinished playhouse and making one big coop!!!

So my questions are these: 1) I have a actual window in there and someone shot a hole in it a long time ago with a bb gun. So now there is a hole and the glass is barely hanging on. SHould I try to tape up the window or just take the glass out completely and screen it? Question 2) The floor is made of these huge 6inch by 12inch boards and while they are great there are spaces between. Maybe an inch wide. Was thinking of covering the entire floor over with cheap linolium or vinyl. ANy thoughts? Also need to put on a roof which will be recycled metal and siding. Unsure on that part yet. Seeing how I live in "way northern CA" our winters are mild never getting below 30 degrees. Once in the 80s we got down to 24 degrees. But that is few and very far between. Not really a worry about cold weather. So any ideas would be great. Thanks for the help!

 

[KrisH]

Originally Posted by joleneschix

 

[joleneschix]

Ok so kind of figured I would have to take out glass. Did that. built an eave over the window so rain can not get in. Going to cover window with hardware cloth. Ok so the floor. Checked spacing and it is half an inch wide. I too was worried about rodents getting in. Is there something besides plywood I could do? Just that it is awfully spendy. Maybe something thinner like wall paneling?? I have a bunch of that laying in my shop. Then cover with vinyl?? WOuld that work?? Not to worried about heat here!! That is funny!! This summer I was lucky if I had ONE day of 70 degrees!!! Overheat I never will while I am here!! But will take precautions with metal roofing. Thanks! All input is greatly appreciated!!

 

[KrisH]

Ok so kind of figured I would have to take out glass. Did that. built an eave over the window so rain can not get in. Going to cover window with hardware cloth. Ok so the floor. Checked spacing and it is half an inch wide. I too was worried about rodents getting in. Is there something besides plywood I could do? Just that it is awfully spendy. Maybe something thinner like wall paneling?? I have a bunch of that laying in my shop. Then cover with vinyl?? WOuld that work?? Not to worried about heat here!! That is funny!! This summer I was lucky if I had ONE day of 70 degrees!!! Overheat I never will while I am here!! But will take precautions with metal roofing. Thanks! All input is greatly appreciated!!

OSB is about $7 here i think for a 4x8 sheet I think it stands for "Oriented strand board". has a coating on it to make it weather resistant, but needs painting or linoleum on it. If you have paneling, why not use what you have.

we sometimes get over 100, but rarely below 30.

RobertH

 

[Folly's place]

someone on another thread complained that the linoleum was too slippery in her chicken house. I have no opinion; mine is stall mats over concrete. Mary

 

[joleneschix]

I will have to look into OSB. Not sure of the price but I know that other siding and plywood is fairly expensive. Or should I say more than I want to spend. One would think being in a place that has lots of mills stuff like that would be cheaper! But nothing is cheap here. So I just saw an ad on craigslist for particle board that is to thick and off sized pieces but it is a dollar a sheet. What do you think about particle board? Think it would deteriorate to quick? Still looking around to see what I got. Also trying to put in a bucket nesting system, but need to figure how to cut holes in the back of the buckets so I can collect eggs from outside the coop. Still looking through the site about bucket nests. Thanks for the help!!!!

 

[KrisH]

OSB is a type of particle board, but there are different kinds. Regular particle board made of sawdust swells up if it gets a little wet. like the stuff under formeica counter tops. OSB is coated so that doesn't happen.

http://www.homedepot.com/Lumber-Com...splay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

as for the buckets, Hole saw on drill. probably a 4" hole. I would hate for you to make a monkey trap LOL you know you put your hand in, grab the egg, then can't get your hand out without dropping the egg.

RobertH

 

[joleneschix]

That is to darn funny!!! Monkey trap. I will have to remember that next time DH is building something! Ok so maybe OSB will be fairly reasonable in price to buy. So you think that particle posted on ad would be a waste? I am trying to do most of this myself. DH has a full time job and goes to school so I try not to bother him unless I have to. He helps when he can but I try to get most of the stuff done during the week so we can spend time together as a family on the weekend. All the help I can get helps lots! Good thing I like to build stuff!!!!

 

[KrisH]

That is to darn funny!!! Monkey trap. I will have to remember that next time DH is building something! Ok so maybe OSB will be fairly reasonable in price to buy. So you think that particle posted on ad would be a waste? I am trying to do most of this myself. DH has a full time job and goes to school so I try not to bother him unless I have to. He helps when he can but I try to get most of the stuff done during the week so we can spend time together as a family on the weekend. All the help I can get helps lots! Good thing I like to build stuff!!!!

Hard to say without looking at it, OSB is a type of particle board, so you would just have to ask. if it was used for roofing of flooring it may be OSB. just call and ask.

RobertH