Helpful hints for building coops

[NewBoots]

I have collected wood chips from a tree trimming company that the phone and electric company hires. they are always looking for a close by place to dump the chips.
my last delivery was a few years ago. I ended up with a few truck loads. had a huge pile. most of it was green. I just turned the pile a couple of times each summer. the pile has shrunk to about half the original size.
It is well rotted now. looks and feels like black dirt.
now I can start using it.
The phone lines are buried, and now the electric company is in the process of burying their lines. so that will end my chances of getting any more wood chips..
I will have to be really selective where I use the ones I have..
I estimate the pile as it is to be about 10 cubic yards..maybe a little more..
......jiminwisc.......

I know you have to age the stuff with foliage mixed in if you're going to use it with your chickens, but I want to use some around the new raised beds. Deep to keep the weeds from getting started. We'll put down some of the tons of cardboard underneath both the paths and the raised beds themselves.

Anyway, do you think the fresh chips will be okay for the area between the beds?

 

[jvls1942]

absolutely make walkways with the chips.
do not use them as soil amendment until they are very well composted. they use up tons of nitrogen while rotting..
I used them inside the chicken coops as the first layer of floor covering for winter.
I have concrete floors and that conducts cold.
I put in about 8 inches deep of wood chips.
then a bale of straw on top of that..
I add a bale of straw when the preceding one got too soiled.
by having the wood chips so deep underneath, when any water got spilled, it would drain all the way down to the concrete and the straw stayed relatively dry..
the only place the poop was deep was under the roosts, and I didn't walk there anyway..
btw, the wood chips were not composted for this purpose. just fresh wood chips..
I tried just wood chips in my two large raised cages with wire floors.. It worked OK but with the chicks running on it, it gradually sifted through the wire and onto the ground.
until only the largest pieces remained.
Hey, what d'ya know, I can talk coops once in awhile..
.......jiminwisc.....

 

[NewBoots]

absolutely make walkways with the chips.
do not use them as soil amendment until they are very well composted. they use up tons of nitrogen while rotting..
I used them inside the chicken coops as the first layer of floor covering for winter.
I have concrete floors and that conducts cold.
I put in about 8 inches deep of wood chips.
then a bale of straw on top of that..
I add a bale of straw when the preceding one got too soiled.
by having the wood chips so deep underneath, when any water got spilled, it would drain all the way down to the concrete and the straw stayed relatively dry..
the only place the poop was deep was under the roosts, and I didn't walk there anyway..
btw, the wood chips were not composted for this purpose. just fresh wood chips..
I tried just wood chips in my two large raised cages with wire floors.. It worked OK but with the chicks running on it, it gradually sifted through the wire and onto the ground.
until only the largest pieces remained.
Hey, what d'ya know, I can talk coops once in awhile..
.......jiminwisc.....

I figured after a season or two we can shovel leftover path chips into the beds and get fresh for the paths. Depending on availability of course. I'm betting we can get all we want if we're willing to haul it ourselves. Yet another excuse... eh reason to invest in a new truck!

 

[aart]

The phone lines are buried, and now the electric company is in the process of burying their lines

They are upgrading the transmission lines around here, new poles and wider easements in some areas, but instead of the feeding downed tree branches thru a chipper they shred them right on the ground.

I don't have a good place to store loads of chips, nor the equipment to 'turn' them.
I wish I did!

 

[Molpet]

They are upgrading the transmission lines around here, new poles and wider easements in some areas, but instead of the feeding downed tree branches thru a chipper they shred them right on the ground.

I don't have a good place to store loads of chips, nor the equipment to 'turn' them.
I wish I did!

Ha' shred' is a loose term for this
I have a line next to my property. The carp flew 100' and was as big as a baseball bat. Hard on the mower
Plugs up the creek too

 

[aart]

Think I found a source for wood chips...right here in town.
Am cheering a bit, but won't dance until they are in my van
(may be too sore then tho-haha!!).

Got a truck lined for Friday, no loading the van by hand, they can just dump it in!!

Ha' shred' is a loose term for this

Shred and Spray?

 

[Molpet]

Test on nails ve screws

 

[aart]

Test on nails ve screws

That is fanTAStic!!
Great test design, execution..... and documentation!

Am amazed at the strength of the dry wall screws!
I use them all the time as they are so easy to drive.
Even the ones I've used outside seem to be holding up just fine even after 6 years.
Perfect for chicken stuff....where there's no crazy loads anyway.

Thanks for sharing this @Molpet !!

 

[Molpet]

That is fanTAStic!!
Great test design, execution..... and documentation!

Am amazed at the strength of the dry wall screws!
I use them all the time as they are so easy to drive.
Even the ones I've used outside seem to be holding up just fine even after 6 years.
Perfect for chicken stuff....where there's no crazy loads anyway.

Thanks for sharing this @Molpet !!

I was surprised at the drywall too
this guy tests lots of things.. always a good test and he does more based on comments too.

 

[jvls1942]

Art, you could toss a pile of extra chips right on the ground in the chicken yard.
after a few years you can scrape them up and use them as compost as the chicken poop will be mixed in with them..
drywall screws are not recommended for construction in houses.. they are too brittle and often break in two..
here is wisc. it is illegal to use them.
(except for drywall)
having the chips loaded is great.
there is a sawmill not too far from us that will load them. I hauled a load for my sister a few years ago. they are not stingy with the load, either. couldn't fit another chip onto the truck..
unloading was a snap, too.. her kids did it..
.....jiminwisc.....