Helpful hints for building coops

[jvls1942]

this is how I square up the corners.
measure 25 1/2 inchs from the dorner along each wall,. cut a board @ 45 degrees on both ends. 36 1/16 inches long to the points. line up the points to the 25 1/2 inch marks and your corner is straight.

this is showing the double 2x6 header beam across the front opening.
above that is the ridge beam sitting in the beam pockets. It is not nailed in. as I go, I can adjust it so that the rafters are square with the walls.

this is taken facing toward the chicken coop

 

[aart]

Odd looking roof line on the building to the right....
..... old clerestory re-roofed a bit differently?

 

[The Phantom]

Phantom, where in wisc ??

I have recovered weedy patches and made them lawn just by mowing, mowing, mowing..
I don't know how this would work for creeping weeds.
my back yard has a hardy weed .
I have no grass whatsoever, the geese just love this weed so I am happy to leave it alone.
It stays green all summer, and from a distance you can't tell it is not grass..

it cooled of nicely last night. not supposed to get out of the 60"s today. slept with the windows open... got down into the 50's for the night. sure felt good to breathe cool air for a change. .
good outside working weather with a flannel shirt on. might switch to long pants. we will see..

........jiminwisc.......

I am outside of Kewaskum. Kinda by West Bend

 

[lcwmt]

Thanks, I'll have to try to find some. Haven't seen them, but that doesn't mean we don't have them. I used a plastic peg to hold down some bird mesh, but that would be way too expensive for a larger job - having said that, straight pins might not hold that well in our sandy soil, they could just pull straight back out.

sometimes they are called "landscape staples". They come in varying sizes but are basically large U shaped staples. We use them to hold drip lines in place, our "in ground electric dog fence" in place, to hold cages over plants we are trying to keep the deer out of and many other things. Check your local landscape store, or Amazon.

 

[lcwmt]

Guys, Im in the UK so excuse my no doubt well known question. What snakes and what predators do you have going for your birds. In the UK I cant think of anything other than foxes and mites going for our birds? Maybe a few hawks but we don't have any like these in the area that I live? Would be very interested to hear what you guys and dolls are dealing with over the pond? (Im sure this would have been posted many times and if so I am truly sorry for it to be listed again)

It is always helpful to me to know where folks are. One size doesn't fit all when it comes to weather, local ecosystems or predators.
We are in N Central MT, USA. It's a semi-arid zone, less than 12 inches moisture/year. At our elevation, and in dry land foothills, fox, raccoons, weasels are not an issue (they prefer to be closer to water). Possum do not live here. We do have hawks, coyotes and eagles, bull snakes, badger, and lots of little furry things. No rattle snakes.
The flying predators and badger have much easier prey than the chickens and do not care to share space with our dogs.
We do not have neighbors, so no stray canines to deal with.
Higher up, in the forest, and lower - close to the river, there are black bear, mountain lions and stray dogs. For land stewards there, good electric fences are most helpful for protecting orchards, bee yards and chickens.
Our chickens get to free range! They've done an amazing job of eliminating grasshoppers and who knows what else. Also tilling and fertilizing dry areas. Good girls. The eggs are a bonus.
I was delighted when it became obvious that our dogs (a Catahoula and a flat coat retriever/ Aussie mix) did not consider the chickens to be prey.
As for snakes, I've only seen bull snakes here, they are our friends <G>. Their preferred meal is mice or voles.

 

[lcwmt]

Careful if you just use staples to secure the chicken wire or mesh because racoons can rip it off. We've learned the hard way to use screws with washers.

yes, true. But there are staples and pneumatic staples. One is not strong, the other might be strong enough, depending.

 

[User395221]

Check your local landscape store, or Amazon.

I did see some pegs in Bunnings (hardware) the other day. Can't remember what they were called, but basically the same thing. I didn't bother meshing the agapanthus. It's still there, the chickens haven't done much to it. Most of the trampling was by my dog....

 

[aart]

Read somewhere, maybe here, about using wire clothes hangers as ground staples.
Cut off hook, then long wire in half and you have two staples, longer than most.
Sandy soil they can be pushed in at an angle for better function.

 

[CapricornFarm]

you know , mares eat oats, and does eat oats.
and little lambs eat ivy,
a kid'll eat ivy too..

this cool weather is great.
I got all four corners braced, made two ridge beam pockets and got the ridge beam in place

Got the chop saw set for 6/12 cuts
@ 27 degrees ..

taking a break and it isn't even noon yet..

.........jiminwisc........

...wouldn't you?
It is hot here again! Up to 90 today, makes me glad i was shopping. Someone told me the Restore in Lynchburg had tons of stuff of all kinds, including stain for $4 a gallon. So i get there, no stain, no complete windows, and not much else i was looking for. To top it off i bought a screen door that is too narrow for our door and i can't take it back. I swear i will make a rabbit cage out of it! I got hell for buying windows that are incomplete, i plan on doing a wooden frame so i can hinge them. He was going on about having no screens. It is a barn, there may be flies! I plan on leaving half of the Dutch doors open so how are the flies NOT getting in? Plus i plan on a pop door for the goats as well. Maybe he just wanted to complain.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Goats prefer weeds over grass,lol . Totally organic and fertilizes too.

When I was little, a farmer down the road from my grandpa had this big white billy goat that had a real long beard. I always liked that goat. Have no idea what kind it was.
I would love to have goats, but only if they could free range. There are far too many things to climb on out to have them here and being on the highway it would be a death sentence for them.

you know , mares eat oats, and does eat oats.
and little lambs eat ivy,
a kid'll eat ivy too..

this cool weather is great.
I got all four corners braced, made two ridge beam pockets and got the ridge beam in place

Got the chop saw set for 6/12 cuts
@ 27 degrees ..

taking a break and it isn't even noon yet..

.........jiminwisc........

We had a wonderful cool breezy day today, but I was babysitting my great niece and couldn't go out to work on the coop or yard.