Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

(No chooks in the house tonight fyi) good night

 

[Ponypoor]

I had to argue with Rooster Cogburn tonight. He was the last one in and he wanted me to keep the run gate open, for easy access to the yard in the morning. When I called “bed time!!” Everyone came running, but he’s at that stupid stage. So is Gizmo, but Giz pays attention. Why are there always chicken issues? Drama I don’t need!

Yep - I know what you mean. I am still having to chase those wall sitters in at roost time. Tonight I didn’t force the issue, it was too early for them to roost when I went in for supper with the family. So I had to get them down and in the hen house when I went out at 8.

At least they went in to bed easily.

 

[kattabelly]

If you can set something up sheltered from the prevailing winds (most common direction, coldest winds) by something solid like a stone wall on 2 sides (maybe more diamond shaped so wind splits to either side)....View attachment 4231455playing with ideas....wind diversions....so basically build a maze with the coop in the middle. Wouldn't have to be a full maze, just set the walls across the opening in the next layer. Granted, more long term project, but could be upgraded to more durable and/or planted with trees/shrubs.

Doesn't help much with coop NOW unless there is a semi-sheltered location to START with, then build the windbreaks off of that.

In settling the Great Plains (Northern Mississippi River, Missouri River areas), people planted wind breaks 3-5 rows wide around the house and barn area. My brother's in-laws have 1 with the outermost a double row of berry type bushes, a double...or triple row (offset from each other) of deciduous trees with the inner most a double row of evergreen spruce trees. The windbreak wrapped 3 sides of the house/yard/barns area with a corn field on the 4th. The whole of the Plains gets wind incessantly, from any direction, and winter winds sweep down from the arctic circle. Northern winds are critical to break up. Summer/fall can get winds out of the southwest or northwest or anywhere in-between. East winds are rare, so that direction is rarely blocked.

Another thing to note. Completely enclosed creates more wind resistance which causes more damage in high winds. The idea is to separate and break up the winds so it's not as strong while still allowing it through. From the sounds of things, your place gets wind from all directions. That's why I'm thinking fully enclose the coop area with open ended walls. The wind has to change direction so much getting through that it loses much of the bite.

Long-term building project, start with the innermost walls, and if you've got a region where 2 stone walls come together, start there and build out.

Edit:

For that batter, building a baffles at the door would also help. Inside or outside doesn't really matter, but run some sort of blockage across that too.

That's basically the plan, there's a run structure with a knackered roof and partial walls that I'm fixing up and roost space will be built inside that. It was hard getting materials over the summer because the local place was struggling to hire a delivery driver and then recently it's been too windy to be up a ladder with roof sheets and/or too rainy to be digging post holes every time I've had a couple of days free to work on it. It'll get sorted eventually.

Planting trees as shelterbelt isn't an option, for several reasons. The wind isn't even the main one but I'll stick this here anyway because it's funny (if you let the long grass grow up around these they make a good day shelter for a few chickens though)

 

[Sylvester017]

The deed is done….

Spoiler: Sorry Bob but it had to be done

Spoiler: And now they can play on the pile of branches!

Before
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After!
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Wonderful ~ the whole world opened up for them beyond just staring at the ground to see