Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Dreamzchaser]

Pictures of the new roof!

View attachment 2854557View attachment 2854558

It is so much lighter in the run now.

We had planned to get clear panels, but this is what Menards had, so we went with it. I think it'll be better than clear when it gets to next spring/summer. I'll probably have to put some kind of shade cloth in there.

I realize I need another horizontal support, so I'll be putting that in this week. There won't be much left of that pallet when I get done!

I also have enough of the polycarbonate left over to make a windbreak for the west side. Then I can use the shower curtains for the west side of the run extension. I'll put heavy duty tarps over the top of the run extension. Right now it's chicken wire, soon to be covered with leaves, so it'll hold a lot of snow.

That roof is not as easy to reach, but I can broom the snow off.

Very nice Sally! That is kind of different from the one I am using. I read about the clear and I do have one side in those. No shade,lol But the remeining I got them in beige so there will be some shade.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

Hi all! Thank you so much for your support. I have not had any sleep but just like a 30 min the most and then up and then another 20 and back up. I was reading about how to do the prolapse in a few threads here. But Phoebe's were bleeding becaus ethe rest had pecked at them. I did not wanted her to be mored unconfortable, so I made the decision to let hub do her. I just could not watch. He thought of making a burial in the back but I was afraid another animal would come and eat her remains. He put her in the trash all in a big plastic bag and a cinder block over the top lid so nothing can come and dig her out. However, I had to make himmove the trash cans far away from the garage becazuse I cannot see myself going out and see the trash cans and know that she is there.
This is not easy. Jeebers! I grew up with chickens and we would get them ready for cooking without a problem but this ones are too special. Maybe I am old and more emotional or the add, alzheimer or maybe the bipolar is acting up,lol I can do some jokes. I am so thankful to all of you. Rose, thank you so much for your help.
So, I still have 6 girls to care for. Eventhough it was hard and difficult to put them to bed last night, they also need me to care for them. So, whay is those chip you guys are getting for the run? Hub put grass clippings last Friday and with the rain, it stinks,lol The good thing is that I can open up the whole thing, turn the fan on and it refreshes the coop completely.
Straw bales, is that a specific one that I need to get?

 

[Sally PB]

So, whay is those chip you guys are getting for the run

Wood chips. When they remove trees, they usually chip up all the small stuff, like under 4-5" in diameter.

Wood chips are GREAT in the run, but they need to dry out a little, after the chipping process. This helps prevent various mold issues. Why they are so great is that they break down slowly, a "cold" composting. They really help with absorbing all the poop and moisture in the run, so that it doesn't stink.

You can buy wood chips as "mulch" but I wouldn't use them in the chicken run. They probably have been treated with chemicals, or dyed.

Some tree removal companies will dump them on your property for free, if you ask, and you're close to one of their worksites. However, you need a place that they can back up their truck and dump a LOT of chips. So it might be easier to find a source where they've dumped them, and go get a pickup truck or trailer load.

Tree companies are happy to get rid of them, because if they take them to a landfill, they have to pay to get rid of them. Call around and ask, or even google "free wood chips" and you might find some.

 

[Sammster]

I'm starting to work through that unpleasant fall task of culling the flock for the winter. One cockerel and an older hen who has never walked normally and now has been bullied by the other birds went over the weekend. If I can ID the egg eater(s), they will be next. I still need to cull 2 roosters, and put the youngsters in the main coop, which I don't want to do until the egg issue is resolved. Shade cloth came off yesterday, and I'll start hauling chips to the run this week.

I'm sorry. That's hard.

 

[Sammster]

Got a good start with the chips......still need to do shade cloths....but my back went out 3 days ago. Hope it shapes back(haha) up soon.

Yikes! Speedy healing ♡

 

[aart]

Pictures of the new roof!

Nice high venting....am a bit confused between the 2 pics, different roofs?

 

[Sally PB]

Nice high venting....am a bit confused between the 2 pics, different roofs?

Same roof from the two different sides.
This is facing west. The arched roof is the coop, to the south.

This is facing east. The big metal roof in the background is our garage. The tubular metal/fencing structure on the left is the addition to the run. The white metal roof in the lower RH corner is the addition to the coop we put on last May.

I would do the monitor differently were I to do it over. I'd make it narrower, so that the cap piece had more overhang, and I'd make it a little shorter, as I'm finding the rain we're getting is blowing in. Of course, more overhang would have helped with that.

I'm going to screw some narrow strips of the polycarb to the inside of the monitor, to make up for that.

 

[aart]

The big metal roof in the background is our garage.

That's what threw me, it look really close, like almost touching the run.

I would do the monitor differently were I to do it over. I'd make it narrower, so that the cap piece had more overhang, and I'd make it a little shorter, as I'm finding the rain we're getting is blowing in.

I wondered about that, the lack of a larger overhang on the 'monitor'.
Shorter and smaller would make it more like a ridge vent,
and it might be hard to keep clear of snow.

 

[Sally PB]

That's what threw me, it look really close, like almost touching the run.

Yeah, I got the stepstool to take that picture, and I should have gotten the step ladder instead.

I'll be able to clean snow off with a broom, I think. It was easy enough to broom off the roof last winter, though last winter was pretty skimpy on the snowfall.

It was a fun project, and I learned more things.

 

[1muttsfan]

My wood chips came from the Electric company's tree trimming crew, as Sally said they are happy to dump them rather than have to dispose of them. I like to let them age for at least a year, and these are from last fall. I have another pile at work that is 3 years old, but it's nice to have some at home so I don't have to bag and haul them. They help alleviate mud in the run in the fall and spring, and are full of interesting bugs and worms if aged. It is fun to dump a big pile and watch it quickly spread over the entire run by powerful kicks from busy hens.