Helpful hints for building coops

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Because water is life......life for bacteria, molds, insects, etc.
Learned that in training while working in a biological clean room.
You don't want moisture in a chicken coop, hosing down a coop interior will inevitably lead to moisture gathering in the cracks and crevices where it can't readily dry out.

Thanks aart, that's good to know. I hadn't really thought of that before.

 

[3KillerBs]

View attachment 2258106
first, drill a 1 1/4" hole at 1 1/2" to center from bottom of bucket. a tiny pilot hole is helpful for this.
...

Thank you. That's one of the simplest, most practical self-watering builds I've seen.

 

[Cebarmlds]

Do all you tomato growers snip off suckers?

Not I.

 

[jvls1942]

today I was gone most of the day with Annie to her final physical before her hip operation.
but I did manage to move the last 4 tomatoes and started staking the most sprawling ones and pruning them. I got five done before dark. found some oak sticking near the lumber stacks. lots more sticking there if I restack a few rows of boards.
those are simple self waterers. If you can pick up the buckets free, they cost only about 50 cents to make.
I get lots of buckets from the bakery at the supermarkets. they also have 3 gallon square buckets that are useful, also..
DD buys buckets by the hundreds. $1.oo/ea
she gives me all I want ..
..
......jiminwaUSAu...

 

[NewBoots]

Do all you tomato growers snip off suckers?

A solid sometimes. Good intentions and all that. This is the first year I've had time and space for so many tomato plants and I cleverly planted my determinants too close to the indeterminate ones and now the ones in the raised beds are an impenetrable jungle. Next year I plan to snip the suckers from the cherry tomatoes at least.

 

[aart]

A solid sometimes.

It's chore, easy for them to get ahead of us.

 

[jvls1942]

that's what I had, over crowding.
with the buckets, I simply re arranged a few and no more plants touching each other.
another thing,,,,,out of almost 60 buckets, so far, I have pulled out only a handful of weeds.
when I mixed the dirt in the cement mixer, I pulled out any weeds I saw. I got the whole root system when I did it that way..
I am up early by choice. My wife's choice. she heard the water pump cycling. I checked every faucet and checked for water leaks. nadda ..nothing.. must be a leak inside the well casing outside. sure, why not ? I have nothing better to do than pull the pump...
......jiminwaUSAu.....

 

[Molpet]

that's what I had, over crowding.
with the buckets, I simply re arranged a few and no more plants touching each other.
another thing,,,,,out of almost 60 buckets, so far, I have pulled out only a handful of weeds.
when I mixed the dirt in the cement mixer, I pulled out any weeds I saw. I got the whole root system when I did it that way..
I am up early by choice. My wife's choice. she heard the water pump cycling. I checked every faucet and checked for water leaks. nadda ..nothing.. must be a leak inside the well casing outside. sure, why not ? I have nothing better to do than pull the pump...
......jiminwaUSAu.....

Could be a check valve, I have one by the tank. Some are at the pump

 

[CapricornFarm]

Well the heat has me mostly hanging out in the house, so only essentials getting done. I am up to three hornet stings. Both nests are no longer in place. I didn't want to use harsh chemicals with the bantams in the coops.

 

[jvls1942]

I have check valves at the pump and one in line. the noise DW heard was a window AC unit going on and off. Easy fix. turn it off.
I gathered up an arm load of oak stakes. got one row of tomatoes staked, pruned and weeded.. I don't plan on doing too much outside today. we are supposed to get into the high 90F;s. I will make sure everything is watered early this morning.
. I let Annie pick the nice red slicer tomato.
can we say; BLT boys and girls ??