fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[fuzzi]

I find the bags at Walmart pretty reasonable. They're $1 a bag, but I forget how many I got in the bag.

I'm down to less than 20 fender washers, and there are some areas of HWC that I want to "batten down". I was going to order from Amazon again but maybe a trip to Walmart :shudder: is on my agenda for Friday morning. Thanks!

 

[fuzzi]

Update!

Wednesday after work I added another piece of hardware cloth:

Thursday
I stopped at Ace Hardware after work and picked up the following: a 5 gallon bucket with lid for the feeder, a box of #6 wood screws, 2 hasps, 4 carabiners, a turnbuckle, and a handle for the coop door. I had a $10 coupon.

Accomplished before it was totally dark:

I'm off tomorrow and the weather is supposed to be good for outdoor work. So...I'm planning on getting the remaining hardware cloth attached, then start working on the brooder.

 

[FunClucks]

That seam where your two pieces of hardware cloth meet on the door - have you stitched that together? Basic whip stitch with 19 gauge wire (they sell it on spools at the hardware store). I use gardening gloves with rubber coating and one or two pairs of needle nose pliers to pull wire or adjust hardware cloth as I sew. Unless that seam is really tight and you can't get something more than 1/2" in diameter through, you might want to consider that. Or you could put a small piece of wood on both sides and screw them together to secure, or wood on one side, and secure with radial washers and screws through the hardware cloth on the other. I like to walk around my coop and pretend I am a small predator and pull at anything that seemed loose or that it could open. I always end up adding more fasteners or securing it further.

 

[Krugerrand]

That seam where your two pieces of hardware cloth meet on the door - have you stitched that together? Basic whip stitch with 19 gauge wire (they sell it on spools at the hardware store). I use gardening gloves with rubber coating and one or two pairs of needle nose pliers to pull wire or adjust hardware cloth as I sew. Unless that seam is really tight and you can't get something more than 1/2" in diameter through, you might want to consider that. Or you could put a small piece of wood on both sides and screw them together to secure, or wood on one side, and secure with radial washers and screws through the hardware cloth on the other. I like to walk around my coop and pretend I am a small predator and pull at anything that seemed loose or that it could open. I always end up adding more fasteners or securing it further.

Sometimes, in lieu of wood I used simpson strong tie straps and zip tied the hardware cloth to those.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-1-4-in-x-18-in-G90-20-Gauge-Strap-Tie-ULSTA18/313507640

 

[fuzzi]

That seam where your two pieces of hardware cloth meet on the door - have you stitched that together? Basic whip stitch with 19 gauge wire (they sell it on spools at the hardware store). I use gardening gloves with rubber coating and one or two pairs of needle nose pliers to pull wire or adjust hardware cloth as I sew. Unless that seam is really tight and you can't get something more than 1/2" in diameter through, you might want to consider that. Or you could put a small piece of wood on both sides and screw them together to secure, or wood on one side, and secure with radial washers and screws through the hardware cloth on the other. I like to walk around my coop and pretend I am a small predator and pull at anything that seemed loose or that it could open. I always end up adding more fasteners or securing it further.

I have been cutting the hardware cloth so the edge has pointed wires. I use needlenose plyers to pull the points through the HWC and squeeze them against the other piece of HWC.

I do plan to use more wire to make everything as tight and secure as possible.

 

[fuzzi]

Sometimes, in lieu of wood I used simpson strong tie straps and zip tied the hardware cloth to those.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-1-4-in-x-18-in-G90-20-Gauge-Strap-Tie-ULSTA18/313507640

I have a roll of similar strapping. Would you post a picture of how you've attached it?

 

[fuzzi]

And it's done...the hardware cloth that is!

Next

• HWC apron in front of the door
• Brooder box
• MHP
• Tarp on top
• Roosts
• Nesting boxes
• Feeder
• Turnbuckle
• ?

 

[fuzzi]

Taking a break, sipping coffee and listening to birdsong...and I just had a thought.

Have you ever seen a roost/shelter made from two pallets attached in an A frame?

 

[Krugerrand]

I have a roll of similar strapping. Would you post a picture of how you've attached it?

These are more rigid than the roll. but that doesn't mean the roll wouldn't work.

 

[FunClucks]

Sometimes, in lieu of wood I used simpson strong tie straps and zip tied the hardware cloth to those.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-1-4-in-x-18-in-G90-20-Gauge-Strap-Tie-ULSTA18/313507640

Never thought of that - that's pretty cool!