New building for my birds

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Loving your new building and all you have done to plan the pens! WOW! Love the lighting set up also. Really happy for you but jealous as can be!
Questions I have may have been answered in the first few pages...I took the link from the Cochin breed thread...
How will you control the dust and dander that are inevitable in an indoor pen set up?
Looks like you are using wood shavings on the floor. Can a shop vac be used in each pen to save you time in cleaning/changing that?
Since these are breeding pens, will you be using "daylight" bulbs to imitate sunshine? Similar to grow lights for a greenhouse?

I have a Laguna 1400 air filtration unit coming. It will be here late this week or early next. It is used to remove dust from woodshops.

I only have wood shavings on the 8 pen floors. I will just use a snow shovel and a garden cart. I can empty a pen in 3-5 minutes. then perhaps use a shop vac.

No special bulbs. I do have 4 windows and get lots of natural light. If I want to start more light I will use some LED christmas bulbs to start the day on a timer like I have done in the past.

Great questions!
Craig

 

[NanaKat]

Since you show, will you have a bathing/show prep area?

I went back and read the entire thread...so impressed with your skill. And that's a great picture of the bird on top of the pen!

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Since you show, will you have a bathing/show prep area?
I went back and read the entire thread...so impressed with your skill. And that's a great picture of the bird on top of the pen!

No plans to do anything for show prep. I would not want to introduce any more water/humidity into the building. Already wondering about dehumidifier. I currently just use 4 buckets and change water as needed. I usually just set it up in the garage. The location needed for drying varies with the weather and time of year. I have had them dry in the shade under a tree, in cages in the garage, or in the basement for late fall or winter shows.

That Partridge hen is in a 5' x 6' by 7' high pen. She flew from the ground up to the upper lip of her pen within 5 minutes of being placed in it. I wish the rest of her was as good as her wings!

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Yesterday I got the Laguna 1400 circulating air filter out of the box and running.This unit was designed to remove dust from woodworking shops. The prefilter is a 16 x 20 x 1 quality pleated furnace filter making maintenance easier and cheaper than some of the others I had considered. Within 10 minutes the floating dust in the air was gone. The building got brighter. This gives me hope that I can have poultry inside, safe, and that I will be breathing quality air. I purchased a timer today that will allow me to run it for at least 1/2 hour each morning before I go to do chores and several other times during the day. I plan to update this in 1 month. If it prevents even 1 asthma attack it will be worth it.

 

[Scifisarah]

Yesterday I got the Laguna 1400 circulating air filter out of the box and running.This unit was designed to remove dust from woodworking shops. The prefilter is a 16 x 20 x 1 quality pleated furnace filter making maintenance easier and cheaper than some of the others I had considered. Within 10 minutes the floating dust in the air was gone. The building got brighter. This gives me hope that I can have poultry inside, safe, and that I will be breathing quality air. I purchased a timer today that will allow me to run it for at least 1/2 hour each morning before I go to do chores and several other times during the day. I plan to update this in 1 month. If it prevents even 1 asthma attack it will be worth it.

I did not know there was such a thing as these woodworking/shop air filters and am excited to hear how it works. I have such horrible allergies to the animals I love, straw, hay, dust and wood shavings. I was officially kicked out of straw & hay delivery day when I worked at the zoo, even though I loved jumping around and stacking it all. I'd be so sick for the rest of the day though...

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I did not know there was such a thing as these woodworking/shop air filters and am excited to hear how it works. I have such horrible allergies to the animals I love, straw, hay, dust and wood shavings. I was officially kicked out of straw & hay delivery day when I worked at the zoo, even though I loved jumping around and stacking it all. I'd be so sick for the rest of the day though...

They make filters that filter down to .3 micron which will give you pretty clean air. Anyone needing information just ask. I did quite a bit of research before choosing which unit to use. some about the efficiency and some about the ease maintenance and cost of replacement filters. I think in the long run the more expensive one to purchase will be the cheapest and easiest to service.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I have the air filter working and sitting on my table saw for now. It can hang from the rafters so it is out of the way. Problem is it needs at least 2 people to safely hang it. That can wait as long as it is working for now. On high speed this unit will have over 25 circulations in 1 hr in a 20x20x8 room.

I have completed 2 tables worth of male/conditioning cages. These are roughly based on cages built by Tom Roebuck for his birds. I use 1 x 1 x 24 wide vinyl coated 14 gauge wire for the base. 1 x 2 for the top and back and both ends. I did not build mine as tall as Tom's as I decided to use some salvage parts for the front of each cage. I was going to build 1 long one but decided that it would be better to make them shorter so I could move them around if need ever arises. I also only use 1 wire for a divider rather than the 2 dividers like his and made that out 1 of the 1 x 1 vinyl wire.I also used 2x6 to hang the bang boards from on the tables. I will have a little more clearance for removing the bang boards for cleaning.

 

[Anna-MN]

This is truly amazing. Bravo!

 

[luvmychixandducks]

The wire you say is made in Massachusetts- is that the cage wire or the chicken wire on your pens and doors?
Do you have a name and an address for the manufacturer?
I'm in Mass- have my coop about done (real chicken coop not a hotel in disguise like yours) and will be completing the runout area when I locate and secure posts and framing materials.
Having an in state manufacturer of quality wire without paying shipping would be great, if they deal with pick up orders.
I can make my trailer pay for itself yet again.
My coop needs a new roof and I'm divided between adding a window and using asphalt shingles, or securing opaque or clear roofing material and letting the light in from the top without a window. I guess final configuration will depend on availability of materials.
You have a super setup custom made for all of those diverse breeds . We are limited to only 15 birds, and no roosters, so a setup like yours is just a dream for me. If I decide to try hatching my own birds, I'll see about getting temporary housing across town for the rooster, and give him visitation rights with the ladies, to keep the animal control nazis off my back.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

The wire you say is made in Massachusetts- is that the cage wire or the chicken wire on your pens and doors?
Do you have a name and an address for the manufacturer?
I'm in Mass- have my coop about done (real chicken coop not a hotel in disguise like yours) and will be completing the runout area when I locate and secure posts and framing materials.
Having an in state manufacturer of quality wire without paying shipping would be great, if they deal with pick up orders.
I can make my trailer pay for itself yet again.
My coop needs a new roof and I'm divided between adding a window and using asphalt shingles, or securing opaque or clear roofing material and letting the light in from the top without a window. I guess final configuration will depend on availability of materials.
You have a super setup custom made for all of those diverse breeds . We are limited to only 15 birds, and no roosters, so a setup like yours is just a dream for me. If I decide to try hatching my own birds, I'll see about getting temporary housing across town for the rooster, and give him visitation rights with the ladies, to keep the animal control nazis off my back.

It is wire from Riverdale mills out of Massachusetts. Quality is great. The catalog from where I got mine will tell you a lot. Both wires came from the same factory.


I got my wire from :
Klubertanz Equipment
1165 Highway 73
Edgerton, WI
(608) 884-9481
http://www.klubertanz.com/