Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[drstratton]

2fer Tuesday

Do the chickens have to be the same breed for Tuesday's?

I have this picture, but it's a 3fer...lol

 

[rural mouse]

2fer Tuesday

View attachment 4180130

Do the chickens have to be the same breed for Tuesday's?

I have this picture, but it's a 3fer...lol
View attachment 4180131

2 broodys....with a passel of Lord Only Knows What babies.

so, no they don't have to be same breed. And did I coin a new "breed": Lokws?

 

[drstratton]

I better taste test this honey, before it circulates around. Send a jar to OU812 POBOX Delicious, Central Valley California

What, you don't trust me, when I say that it's delicious?

Tax
Opal

 

[RoyalChick]

They gifted me with this!

My first jar!
View attachment 4180123

Tax
View attachment 4180129

Wow. So cool!

 

[drstratton]

2 broodys....with a passel of Lord Only Knows What babies.

View attachment 4180132so, no they don't have to be same breed. And did I coin a new "breed": Lokws?

I think you did!

 

[drstratton]

Wow. So cool!

Bees are amazing and this is some of the best honey I've ever had. Maybe I'm prejudiced, but it really is delicious.

 

[RoyalChick]

2fer Tuesday.
Sylvie tidying up Pooh’s wattles. I was so happy to see this on the video camera because the new feeder has caused some tension between those two.
Now Sylvie has mastered it they seem to be friends again.

 

[drstratton]

2fer Tuesday.
Sylvie tidying up Pooh’s wattles. I was so happy to see this on the video camera because the new feeder has caused some tension between those two.
Now Sylvie has mastered it they seem to be friends again.
View attachment 4180134

Chickens can be so mean sometimes and then they turn around and act like this!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Ok guys I need some maths checked.

Went out to let the chooks out this morning and found babies roaming the yard.....did I not get something latched securely? How did you guys get out? Everything closed and latched....bottom of people door has been trying to fall apart. Babies figured out how to get out through it.

Came home from work with a tape measure. Will be picking up 2 x 2s and OSB tomorrow.

Here's the sketch
View attachment 4179931I'm looking at door frame, clad in osb (and sealed with something weather proof that won't harm the birds, suggestions on that would be appreciated). Adding a bird door in the door, lower right. Turning the upper half into a window (inside covered with hardware cloth, what size washers and screws to hold it securely). The window has a door that closes into it for winter protection.

I'm calculating 36 feet 8 inches of 2 x2 for all the framing. 7/16 inch OSB for the cladding. At 96 x 48 inches, will 1 sheet be enough to clad both sides of the door?

Planning on filling spaces with foam insulation. Long term thought: when can replace the coop with some sort of shed (double doors for cleaning), can move this one to it for daily access.

Edit: measures based upon 1/4 inch gap on each side of doors for movement and 1.5 inch width on the 2 x 2s. Also, what size screws to fasten 2x2s and what size for the OSB? And getting 36 feet 8 inches for total 2x2 length

@BY Bob @bgmathteach @RoyalChick @Ponypoor

- On the OSB cladding for the door. One sheet is not enough to do both sides of the 29x70 door. But isn't half the door going to be window and so wouldn't be needing OSB cladding. Or am I misunderstanding? If the part of the door you are cladding is 29x26 (think I am reading the sketch right) then yes, a sheet of 48x96 can do both sides. Someone should check me on this!

I'm not going through the rest of the thread to see if others have made the same points, so am posting a video soon to cover any SHRA.

Also I'm jotting down thoughts quickly and don't mean to be curt or harsh.

Door:
You want a door that the measurement is 29 1/2" wide and the height is 70". This is because you have a door frame already there that is solid, can hold the hinges, etc., and these are the accurate inside measurements to butt up to that, right?

You can cover one side of this door with one 4'x8' piece of plywood. I would suggest 1/4" plywood, especially if you are doing two sides. This is going to be really heavy with 1/2" plywood, even on one side.

I question your intention to insulate: it makes good homes for mice and mites and you might be ripping off one side at some point to get at and treat them. If you are looking for the cross-bracing qualities of plywood, then at least use corner braces and save the weight. These kinds of doors can warp and flex along the front and back dimension a lot too, where one corner or the other wants to bend toward the opposite corner. This can interfere with the window and pop door fit. You could put in diagonal braces.

Would a Dutch door work, where you hardware-cloth the top part on the inside, and attach a hinged piece of plywood, either on a frame or not, to the outside door frame as a cover? The entire upper part of the door works as a window.

2x2's:
I would suggest 2x2 corner braces on each corner of your door frame, having worked with a ton of 2x2's myself you will really appreciate the diagonal bracing, even little pipeces work really well, see this video, a guy building a coop door

You need to account for 2x2's not being fully dimensional. They aren't even 1.5" at times though that's what one plans for. So your measurement of 25 1/2" for the top of your window, means 22 1/2" or less for the bottom inside 2x2.

I don't have time right now to add up the wood needed and check that, sorry. I can see you need 20 feet of 2x2's just for the outside framing and my recommendation of 2x2 corner bracing.

You want to go through and then halfway in to what you're screwing to. So with 1.5" 2x2's you'll want 1.25" self-tapping wood screws with 1/2" ply (.75" + .5"), or 1" with 1/4" ply.

Whatever you do I think you should plan and build the whole door, THEN cut out for the window and pop door when you make them. For instance - if you do put in corner braces then those might move your pop door in a few inches. So once it's all there you can see what you're working with.

 

[RoyalChick]

The window is hardware cloth on the inside, but has a hinged door that I can close to keep the wind out/warmth in during the winter, so that part....still clad so I can insulate it, I think... and so when it's open, the inside side is weather protected.... would a sheet and a half be enough?

I think yes a sheet and a half will do it but it will be tight and you will need to piece strips together for the upper part of the inside (around the window).
Check I have understood correctly (see sketch).
I started a cutting diagram but realized I wasn’t confident enough to get it perfect.
Basically it works this way:
- From the full sheet cut a piece that fits the whole door and then cut out the window. Ideally cut out the window so you can keep that piece undamaged so it can be the actual hinged shutter. That is not easy. Alternatively do the door I. Two pieces (top and bottom) which makes it easier to cut out the window.
- Preserve the L-shaped scrap as you will need to rip that down to cover the area around the window on the other side of the door.
- From the half piece cut the bottom of the door (roughly 29x26 if I understood your picture).
- Cut scrap into pieces to frame the window on the inside of the door (I say inside because ideally fewer joins on the side that is to the weather).

Hope that helps.