Hoop House/Coop

[lpyrbby]

Where are you going to put roost bars? Your newest boxes are quite high compared to the roof of the coop, you may end up with chickens sleeping in them and crapping them up if you can't the roost bars much higher than the nests

I'm planning on nest box curtains (much to husband's dismay). I'm also having him put a post in the ground and make roosts coming from each of the four sides, staggered in height. Like this, but obviously shorter to fit in the coop.



Since I want the brooder/introduction pen on that back wall under the nest boxes, I'm planning on a ramp for them to get up there (and future babies to get down). I'm still looking at ideas on how I'm going to deal with the top of that pen and chicken poop. He went that high with it because the original idea was to drag their current 6x3x2 pen in there under them, and we wanted enough space above it. Of course, I didn't decide that I'd like to just try to re-purpose a puppy pen I have (secured with more wood and a solid top) until after he'd already built them. So. This will be the misfit coop lol

 

[aart]

Blucoondawg has a good point.
If roost bars are lower than the nests, they may sleep(roost) in nests as they like to roost as high as possible.
Curtains on nests will not change that.

 

[RonC]

Your coop is looking good and coming along nicely. Lots of thought being put into it. Those plastic wire ties will not last forever in the sun though. I used the aluminum fence ties for chainlink fence and hog rings on mine. They are cheap. Wish I could have enough chickens to warrant a coop like yours.

 

[lpyrbby]

@aart Drat, I'll have to see how things go then. There should be some roost spots higher than the boxes, at least moderately.

@RonC Thank you! The zip ties aren't the only thing holding the panels together. Those were just to get started. Husband wrapped the joins with thick wire, which you can see some of it in that one photo.

I'm doing some painting tomorrow, so we'll see what else I come up with then.

 

[RonC]

They should last for a while but they deteriorate from the heat and sun. They will look fine and then a slight tug will break them. They will work to hold things till you can add the hog rings, etc. I'd hog ring anything structural like the cattle panels together and use the aluminum ties to hold less critical spots.

 

[lpyrbby]

So, I painted. I should have taken the color outside in the sun!

It's SO bright! I'm going to trim out edges in white at least. I've also considered distressing the blue, but I'm undecided at this point. I've contemplated getting a little artsy fartsy and coming up with a little mural to paint on as well, but laziness will probably get the better of me







And no, I haven't committed to a color for the nest box lid yet either. Probably just going to paint it white (well as white as Kilz is) along with the other pieces of wood that are visible, even around the base.

Should I Kilz the inside of the nest boxes too? Should I use something that isn't Kilz?

 

[aart]

I'd be more concerned about moving the nest boxes down than what color they are.....
.....but then I am a totally 'function over form' kinda a gal.

 

[lpyrbby]

I'd be more concerned about moving the nest boxes down than what color they are.....
.....but then I am a totally 'function over form' kinda a gal.

Yeah...I think we're gonna hafta deal with the nest boxes as they are right now. Gonna suck but I can't ask husband to do all that demo...

 

[aart]

Quote: I hear ya....depends on how he built and attached them, could be fairly simple.

 

[lpyrbby]

Okay, so I'm going to TRY to go out tomorrow morning and install the hardware cloth by myself. I had someone else mention the idea to me that they used staples to secure the cloth to the wood sections to help them get the cloth up. So, I'm going to try that. That might be just enough for me to fight my way through it. Aside from that, and making a "hook" with some spare wire, is there anything else I might try to do to facilitate getting this stuff on the coop?