Helpful hints for building coops

[User395221]

Husband is out there with the chain saw this morning.

Step away from the coop! Step away from the coop! Hope you are feeling better soon.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Step away from the coop! Step away from the coop! Hope you are feeling better soon.

Thanks, at least it is cooler now. Slept with the window open last night, which I rarely do but i needed the air.
Feeling better than i did last night. I will not be taking any canoe trips today for sure. Looks like a lovely day out there.

 

[Amber's loving chickens]

Yes! We did this too and it works great!!

If possible, plywood floor with linoleum on it for easy cleaning. Deep Litter method works!!
Consider poop trays under your roosting bars. They work too!
As mentioned earlier, VENTILATION!!!!! More than you think.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Feeling a bit better now. I went and put another coat of paint on the feeder. It is ready to hang! Bolted together the second and third panel for the run, wired hardware cloth on one more, one to go. Cut the 2x4s for the spacer i will be using since the coop is only 8 feet wide on that side. Still need to cover the top. Maybe i will install some perches. Husband ordered hardware to attach the panels to the coop. They should arrive around the 1st. Not available in the stores locally. The birds are in the tractor watching me work. The nice, quiet guineas are starting to try out adult noises. Cringe! I hate that ker-choink noise they make, it is so loud!

 

[aart]

This is pretty slick, nice job!!
What did you make the curved 'slider board' out of?

Two notes, from things I had to change on a gravity bin feeder I made:
The red edge needs to be below the green edge or billing out of feed onto the floor/ground will be rampant.
You can add a piece to the front for a lower red edge,
best for red edge to be about 1/2" from bottom of bin,
or as close as possible for whatever feed you are using to flow.

Also how long is the green edge?
Big enough for big combed birds to eat from straight on?
Mine worked great for chicks,
until they got bigger and they could only feed from the side.

 

[CapricornFarm]

This is pretty slick, nice job!!
What did you make the curved 'slider board' out of?

Two notes, from things I had to change on a gravity bin feeder I made:
The red edge needs to be below the green edge or billing out of feed onto the floor/ground will be rampant.
You can add a piece to the front for a lower red edge,
best for red edge to be about 1/2" from bottom of bin,
or as close as possible for whatever feed you are using to flow.

Also how long is the green edge?
Big enough for big combed birds to eat from straight on?
Mine worked great for chicks,
until they got bigger and they could only feed from the side.

View attachment 1122549

The slider board is not curved, just cut at an angle. Just a scrap piece of wood from a pallet. For now, the feeder will work. Young guineas and Ameraucanas will be in there. I don't know what the measurements are, what do you suggest? I can check when i go back out there. I know the length of the feeder is about 24"

 

[CapricornFarm]

Here is a picture of it installed.

 

[CapricornFarm]

This is pretty slick, nice job!!
What did you make the curved 'slider board' out of?

Two notes, from things I had to change on a gravity bin feeder I made:
The red edge needs to be below the green edge or billing out of feed onto the floor/ground will be rampant.
You can add a piece to the front for a lower red edge,
best for red edge to be about 1/2" from bottom of bin,
or as close as possible for whatever feed you are using to flow.

Also how long is the green edge?
Big enough for big combed birds to eat from straight on?
Mine worked great for chicks,
until they got bigger and they could only feed from the side.

View attachment 1122549

The distance from the red board to the inside of the front board is 2 1/4 ". What do you recommend? I do have a piece that will fit down inside to decrease the flow of food. The red and green boards are at the same level, so i can adjust that too. Thanks for the pointers!

 

[User395221]

I do have a piece that will fit down inside to decrease the flow of food.

I've seen hoppers like that and they've had a piece of plexiglas screwed to the front where the red line is. I suppose it controls the amount in the feed trough without impeding the "dropping" from above as a thick "bit" would.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I swear these guineas and chickens waste as much as they eat. They have a hanging metal feeder in the tractor. When they spill food it falls through the hardware cloth and gets wasted. Very annoying. Hope to curb that problem.