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- #11
Just finished the coop -- it's not pretty but it's supposed to last until Thanksgiving!
The tarp blew off the top in very short order, so I ended up wrapping the entire frame in chicken wire... attached to the metal hoops with plastic ties... then "stitching" the chicken wire at the adjoining edges with baling twine. (Like I said, I have NO carpentry skills, but I can tie twine). I weighted the whole structure down in the center with a very heavy concrete block tied to the top... To solve the tarp-blowing-away-in-the-wind-and-taking-the-whole-pen-with-it issue, I realized the tarp had to remain unattached to the structure. So I laid a long rectangular tarp across the top of the pen (leaving 2 sides open and airy) and weighted down both sides by putting heavy blocks on the ends on the ground.
I took clothesline cord and lashed the tarp down in a few locations (like a tent) but never attached it to the structure itself. That way I figured if 30-mph winds come along and yank the tarp loose, it still won't hurt the pen itself.
It wasn't easy, but I've got 9 turkey poults in it today. They've never seen so much space, grass and sunlight and are still looking quite stunned to have it so good.
We'll see if my pen lasts until next year. If not, I think I have a good career in large-scale chicken wire sculpture ahead of me.
The tarp blew off the top in very short order, so I ended up wrapping the entire frame in chicken wire... attached to the metal hoops with plastic ties... then "stitching" the chicken wire at the adjoining edges with baling twine. (Like I said, I have NO carpentry skills, but I can tie twine). I weighted the whole structure down in the center with a very heavy concrete block tied to the top... To solve the tarp-blowing-away-in-the-wind-and-taking-the-whole-pen-with-it issue, I realized the tarp had to remain unattached to the structure. So I laid a long rectangular tarp across the top of the pen (leaving 2 sides open and airy) and weighted down both sides by putting heavy blocks on the ends on the ground.
I took clothesline cord and lashed the tarp down in a few locations (like a tent) but never attached it to the structure itself. That way I figured if 30-mph winds come along and yank the tarp loose, it still won't hurt the pen itself.
It wasn't easy, but I've got 9 turkey poults in it today. They've never seen so much space, grass and sunlight and are still looking quite stunned to have it so good.
We'll see if my pen lasts until next year. If not, I think I have a good career in large-scale chicken wire sculpture ahead of me.
