Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Found her like that, when I returned from Colorado.

Ok so not long - well keep an eye on it.

OK all - I have a migraine so catch you at some point tomorrow! I am going to check on the chickies one last time and then try to get some sleep

 

[BY Bob]

Coop Porch Project

Here's what they have now, to go into the coop they go either up the ladder or jump up to the perch and awkwardly walk over and up a bit to the pop door. By the way - you can also see the ventilation devices mentioned before that keep condensation down in this little run when the tarp is covering the run part so completely.
View attachment 3368766

So my idea has been to put two or more 2x2 boards across and into the welded wire on each side, the way the existing perch wedges into it on the right. Then put a piece of 1/2" plywood about 27" deep on top. (The run is about 36" wide at that height.) The ladder would then come forward. The ladder rails are pipes and turn down and usually hook into two vertical pipes attached to the coop. You can see the vertical pipes behind the wood crosspieces placed here as a test. The plywood would rest on those pipes and help with edge support there.
View attachment 3368767

I cross-sawed and then split with a chisel to make the thinner ends of the wood to fit into the welded wire rectangles. I made the boards too long here in this picture, I took them out and cut off 3/4" on each end and need to test it again. They are pushing the hardware cloth and tarp out too much. I wonder if I should make a little notch in each underside to stop it sliding side to side? I don't think they will fall but it would be a fail-safe.
Now that this might be a real hangout spot year-round (the existing perch is too small for the grown birds, only once is a while does anyone hang out on it) I have more hardware cloth to run up the sides and over the top. Need to do that before proceeding much further. The electric fence is down and I worry about predators.
View attachment 3368775

Here's what I need to figure out now:

1) How far apart from each other the crosspieces need to be to support a piece of regular 1/2" plywood 36" wide and 27" deep. (We happen to have a good piece of ply 6' x 27" that's why it's 27" to start. I also have many 2x2's left over from the Big Run roof job that morphed into using larger wood.) In the test above the back crosspiece could be further from the far end, yes, or no? I can make a third crosspiece if necessary.

and

2(a) Whether to place a crosspiece right at the front edge of everything and hook the ladder first through the 1/2" plywood (with two round holes made in it) and then over the crosspiece like this picture below (small piece of 3/4" wood standing in for 1/2" plywood thickness). I'm inclined to do this but I don't know exactly why.

(For anyone familiar with Omlet, I've removed the ladder rail catch wires from the ladder top end caps - these are wires that hook under those vertical coop pipes - and replaced the end caps without them. I think they are useful only when moving the coop tractor so the ladder doesn't come unhooked from the coop with a bump. But my ground is so gnarly I usually removed the whole ladder anyway).
View attachment 3368779
View attachment 3368780

Or,

2(b) I could have the cross piece not at the edge of the plywood but have the crosspiece further back / plywood sticking further forward from it, and have the ladder just set in holes near the plywood edge without a crosspiece under it. I suspect 1/2" ply will hold it, DH thinks so as there's not much consistent weight on it (and the ladder bottom sets on the litter, I could put wood or a brick under it too). There could likely be two chickens on the ladder and one or more on the porch during any roosting shenanigans.

Here I've put the ladder against the crosspiece to hold it and demonstrate the idea but it wouldn't be there, it would be forward of the crosspiece and just through the plywood.
View attachment 3368781

What do you all think?

Let me start out by saying this is a very clever solution. I love what you thinking.

I'm going to try and answer how I would build it. I hope that is what you are looking for.

1/2 plywood is pretty strong. It should not need a middle support to hold up a couple of chickens. I would put my 2x2s on the outer edge. 2 supports should work well.

To mount the ladder I would add a 2x2 on top of the plywood to reach the top of the ladder arch. Then I would drill holes for the ladder support to pass through the plywood so it rests naturally.

Does that make sense?

 

[rural mouse]

Coop Porch Project

Here's what they have now, to go into the coop they go either up the ladder or jump up to the perch and awkwardly walk over and up a bit to the pop door. By the way - you can also see the ventilation devices mentioned before that keep condensation down in this little run when the tarp is covering the run part so completely.
View attachment 3368766

So my idea has been to put two or more 2x2 boards across and into the welded wire on each side, the way the existing perch wedges into it on the right. Then put a piece of 1/2" plywood about 27" deep on top. (The run is about 36" wide at that height.) The ladder would then come forward. The ladder rails are pipes and turn down and usually hook into two vertical pipes attached to the coop. You can see the vertical pipes behind the wood crosspieces placed here as a test. The plywood would rest on those pipes and help with edge support there.
View attachment 3368767

I cross-sawed and then split with a chisel to make the thinner ends of the wood to fit into the welded wire rectangles. I made the boards too long here in this picture, I took them out and cut off 3/4" on each end and need to test it again. They are pushing the hardware cloth and tarp out too much. I wonder if I should make a little notch in each underside to stop it sliding side to side? I don't think they will fall but it would be a fail-safe.
Now that this might be a real hangout spot year-round (the existing perch is too small for the grown birds, only once is a while does anyone hang out on it) I have more hardware cloth to run up the sides and over the top. Need to do that before proceeding much further. The electric fence is down and I worry about predators.
View attachment 3368775

Here's what I need to figure out now:

1) How far apart from each other the crosspieces need to be to support a piece of regular 1/2" plywood 36" wide and 27" deep. (We happen to have a good piece of ply 6' x 27" that's why it's 27" to start. I also have many 2x2's left over from the Big Run roof job that morphed into using larger wood.) In the test above the back crosspiece could be further from the far end, yes, or no? I can make a third crosspiece if necessary.

and

2(a) Whether to place a crosspiece right at the front edge of everything and hook the ladder first through the 1/2" plywood (with two round holes made in it) and then over the crosspiece like this picture below (small piece of 3/4" wood standing in for 1/2" plywood thickness). I'm inclined to do this but I don't know exactly why.

(For anyone familiar with Omlet, I've removed the ladder rail catch wires from the ladder top end caps - these are wires that hook under those vertical coop pipes - and replaced the end caps without them. I think they are useful only when moving the coop tractor so the ladder doesn't come unhooked from the coop with a bump. But my ground is so gnarly I usually removed the whole ladder anyway).
View attachment 3368779
View attachment 3368780

Or,

2(b) I could have the cross piece not at the edge of the plywood but have the crosspiece further back / plywood sticking further forward from it, and have the ladder just set in holes near the plywood edge without a crosspiece under it. I suspect 1/2" ply will hold it, DH thinks so as there's not much consistent weight on it (and the ladder bottom sets on the litter, I could put wood or a brick under it too). There could likely be two chickens on the ladder and one or more on the porch during any roosting shenanigans.

Here I've put the ladder against the crosspiece to hold it and demonstrate the idea but it wouldn't be there, it would be forward of the crosspiece and just through the plywood.
View attachment 3368781

What do you all think?

How long term are you planning to build for? If more than a couple of years, put the ladder at a cross piece. Personally, I think combining the 2 would work. 3 cross piece supports, ladder coming up through a hatch at the middle one. That way if the roosting shenanigans get too much, a lady can bale off (or fly/jump up) the front edge while someone else is going up/down the ladder in the middle. You get the supported ladder, a bigger porch and could turn the whole thing into a larger coop at some point down the road while providing a large shade/dust bathing area under it.

 

[rural mouse]

I'm not sure of the breed but apparently Lety is very fond of them, lol. But in seriousness I would love to know her breed.

In bantam, I think the only laced birds are gold and silver laced sebrights. blue legs?

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/bantam_golden_sebright.html

 

[BY Bob]

Oooooh the Sebrights are very cool. I have a weakness for them. Big black eyes, the color definition in the feathers, the way they hold their wings. Maybe most of all, love that tail!

Did you say tails?!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Did you say tails?!

View attachment 3368925View attachment 3368926View attachment 3368927View attachment 3368928View attachment 3368929

A wonderful collection of tails!

 

[BY Bob]

Well where do you put the roosting dramas that "happened" to take place during integration (and later on too)? I thought you found those shenanigans upsetting...Or maybe you stress a bit, but know that it will settle down (more or less) eventually so overall it's fun?

I do not like anything that goes on with roosting, integration or no. I don't associate roosting with the rest of integration in mind. My roosting is vicious even now and I despair that I will ever have peaceful roosting.

So I divorce roosting from integration. I love when they interact during the daylight hours and find their way to an integrated unit.

I despise roosting at any time.

 

[BY Bob]

The nest box is back there where the heater is, and the nest box is the run's "unprotected by windbreak" side, as it protrudes outside the run there, right? I think I've got myself oriented with the Hut and the run, if that's right.

The nest box in the Cluckle Hut is on the eastern side of the run. There actually is wind break on the east side of the run to stop snow in a blizzard where it comes from the east and not the northwest. I am going to provide a more detailed overview of the complex and where I have wind break. So it is more clear. I just need to draw it out.

 

[micstrachan]

Yay, it’s Friday! We had a break between storms, so I let the girls range for several hours, while I did some heavy yardwork. No photos of the chickens today, but this is recent… It was taken during the last break between storms.

 

[BY Bob]

Impenetrable castle! The Omlet coop itself is very secure, Fort Knox-like, I've seen pictures of trees fallen on it from storms and everybody still safe inside.

Hmmm, a moat would be great for keeping predators away. Except for otters...

PS There will absolutely be no cows, ducks or chickens catapulted over the ramparts of the castle here!

What about wooden rabbits?