I need coop ideas!

[808mom_of10]

Aloha from Hawaii, my BYC Ohana! I currently live on 2 acres, and my hens (and two accidental roosters), have free range access on just over an acre. The girls used to lay eggs in egg boxes in a coop, then a nasty windstorm took our coop out, so we moved the boxes into the garage. That worked fine for a few months, but now they are laying all over the creation! But, alas, that is not my most pressing concern! I will be moving closer to town this summer . My (26+2) hens and roosters will be moving with me. Our new house has an old hot house on it that is not being used. It is about 40 ft. long x 16 ft. wide, and is the arc type, like a quonset (sp?) hut. We are changing one rib on it (a tree fell on it), and putting all new plastic on it. Those work really well here, and last a long time, providing the NEIGHBORS tree doesn't fall on it! I am able to use HALF of that hot house as a chicken house! I need ideas on how to work with that arch style building.
As background, I am on the Big Island of Hawaii, moving to the town of Hilo. We get a lot of rain AND sun. In fact, the weather is really bipolar! In terms of predators, we've got neighborhood cats and dogs, although my dogs will run them off, and Mongoose and rats. That's about all that will prey on my girls and their eggs. Any ideas or advice will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[aart]

I need ideas on how to work with that arch style building.

Pics please..and dimensions between ribs.

 

[808mom_of10]

Pics please..and dimensions between ribs.

I got this late, but tomorrow, I will take pics and measurements for you! I know that it is 40 feet long and 16 feet wide. and it is about 30 feet over the arch.

 

[aart]

Not 'hoop arches' per se ....and I set my posts and 'arches' at 68" to fit 72" welded wire.
But ran the length of mesh up and over including 18" on each side for anti-dig aprons.

 

[808mom_of10]

Hey all! I didn't get to the replies yet, but I wanted to post pics of the old hot house that will be the new coop. Well, half of it is designated to be a coop!

Pics please..and dimensions between ribs.

I got this late, but tomorrow, I will take pics and measurements for you! I know that it is 40 feet long and 16 feet wide. and it is about 30 feet over the arch.

 

[808mom_of10]

Hey all, so the above pics are of the hothouse that will be my new coop. It is 40 feet long, with 5 feet between ribs. It will be covered with 6 mil hot house plastic. In one pic, you can see where there is wood, a little past mid way down, and we secure the plastic to this. From the wood, down, it will be chicken wire, and dug in to prevent mongoose from getting into the coop. This skeleton of the coop is secured to the ground with galvanized pipe that has been concreted into the ground. It has stood to 2 hurricanes, and did fine. The 6 mil plastic is also very, very hardy. The last two ribs has been damaged, because the neighbors trees, which overhang my property , fell onto it. We are trying to get replacement ribs for it (just 2 ribs got damaged). We were thinking of putting chicken wire all along the end, with an entrance gate for me, as well as an automatic door for the girls. As for the inside, we will also need to make a wall inside, framed up, with chicken wire. I am only going to use half of the hot house as a chicken coop. The other half will be used as a barn storage. I will keep feed in barrels, planting stuff, and probably park our farm equipment/vehicles there. We get a lot of rain in Hilo, so shelter is ALWAYS needed!
Any ideas on perches, nesting boxes, how to keep it clean, feeders and waterers would be AWESOME!

 

[trumpeting_angel]

People here generally recommend 1/2” hardware cloth rather than chicken wire, to protect from predators that can enter or reach into small openings, like raccoons, weasels, and snakes. It’s much stronger than chicken wire as well as having smaller holes. I don’t know enough about the predators in Hawaii to comment on that.

I would be concerned about how hot it would get when it is sunny. Some shady areas, perhaps?

Nice big greenhouse with lots of room for birds!

 

[aart]

Yeah... I wouldn't use chicken wire. 1/2" HC or 1/2 x 1" 14ga cage mesh.
Use same on separating wall.
...and anti dig aprons on all walls.
Good examples of anti-dig apron installation:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

Will mongoose climb...do they eat chickens?
IIRC there are not tons of chicken preds in HI?

How wide is hoop house?
Might make divider wall solid to mount roosts and nests.

 

[808mom_of10]

People here generally recommend 1/2” hardware cloth rather than chicken wire, to protect from predators that can enter or reach into small openings, like raccoons, weasels, and snakes. It’s much stronger than chicken wire as well as having smaller holes. I don’t know enough about the predators in Hawaii to comment on that.

I would be concerned about how hot it would get when it is sunny. Some shady areas, perhaps?


Nice big greenhouse with lots of room for birds!

Aloha! The only real predators here on the Big Island, are mongoose, feral cats, and maybe some neighbors loose dogs. I set traps for mongoose and feral cats, and getting the dogs in our yard is rare. I think it will be hot in there, but both ends will be open, as well as from about halfway down the sides. Also, the girls will be let out every morning, and corralled back in at night, so i'm sure they will go into the shade around the property. They will have around 2 acres or so to roam.

 

[808mom_of10]

Yeah... I wouldn't use chicken wire. 1/2" HC or 1/2 x 1" 14ga cage mesh.
Use same on separating wall.
...and anti dig aprons on all walls.
Good examples of anti-dig apron installation:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

Will mongoose climb...do they eat chickens?
IIRC there are not tons of chicken preds in HI?

How wide is hoop house?
Might make divider wall solid to mount roosts and nests.

Yes, I will use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. Mongoose will climb, they're nimble little suckers, and they usually eat the eggs and chicks, but they will eat a weak or a slow chicken, given the chance! Besides them, feral cats, and some neighborhood dogs, that's it as far as predators. I will check out the link on the anti-dig apron, and Great Idea!! I never thought of making the the divider wall solid, to mount the nesting boxes and perches!! Thanks so much for that!!