If you are pressed for time, I’d throw the plywood on, and paint it for water protection. If you can wait and think of how to attach the metal roofing and you have it already, I’d say hold off.
Pennsylvania!! Unite!!
- Thread starter LeBlackbird
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If you are pressed for time, I’d throw the plywood on, and paint it for water protection. If you can wait and think of how to attach the metal roofing and you have it already, I’d say hold off.
No one has eggs of those breeds that I'm aware of. Getting hatching eggs of anything this time of year is hard. It's prime hatching season and the only breed I'm not setting are the Penedesencas. I set 328 eggs tonight, including the first 2 of the Australian Spotted duck eggs.
@AnneInTheBurbs congrats on the new chicks! I love the heat pad tunnel!
Why did he think you wanted a truck? If you have a truck it is only natural that you will fill it with goodies on a regular basis.
I vote metal roofing...create a knee wall extension by making a frame out of 2x2s or 2x4s with 3 or 6 inch uprights. Basically it will look like a narrow ladder, lay it on its side on top of one of the existing walls and secure it with wood screws about every 8-12". Lay 2x4s on their side from tall side to short side, securing with screws down into the top plate of each wall. Overhang about 4-6" on each side, these are your 'trusses'. Make sure to have a truss flush with each end of the run since they are also where you staple your hardware cloth.
I think the metal roofing will weight slightly less than the plywood and won't need waterproofing. A flat wood roof will not hold up well, so even if you opt to use plywood for your roof you should still build the knee wall so one side is taller. A difference of 6-8" will provide plenty of slope for a 4ft wide run.
Tip... a standard 2x4 is actually 3.5" wide, for quick and easy spacers I would take a scrap piece of 2x4 and mark it every 3" and cut it. Then use it for the spacers by just laying them on their side, bingo...all are identical height and sandwiched between 2 2x4s it will give you a total height of 6.5" for the wall addition. Just angle your screws in when anchoring it to the base wall.
Speaking of husbands not being thrilled... a friend helped me load my truck with awesome pallets yesterday. Some of them have plywood, and as such are pre made walls! He has to help me unload this tomorrow.
View attachment 1266461
Why did he think you wanted a truck? If you have a truck it is only natural that you will fill it with goodies on a regular basis.
I vote metal roofing...create a knee wall extension by making a frame out of 2x2s or 2x4s with 3 or 6 inch uprights. Basically it will look like a narrow ladder, lay it on its side on top of one of the existing walls and secure it with wood screws about every 8-12". Lay 2x4s on their side from tall side to short side, securing with screws down into the top plate of each wall. Overhang about 4-6" on each side, these are your 'trusses'. Make sure to have a truss flush with each end of the run since they are also where you staple your hardware cloth.
I think the metal roofing will weight slightly less than the plywood and won't need waterproofing. A flat wood roof will not hold up well, so even if you opt to use plywood for your roof you should still build the knee wall so one side is taller. A difference of 6-8" will provide plenty of slope for a 4ft wide run.
Tip... a standard 2x4 is actually 3.5" wide, for quick and easy spacers I would take a scrap piece of 2x4 and mark it every 3" and cut it. Then use it for the spacers by just laying them on their side, bingo...all are identical height and sandwiched between 2 2x4s it will give you a total height of 6.5" for the wall addition. Just angle your screws in when anchoring it to the base wall.
Thanks. How much of a slope do you think I'd need for 10 ft. If I do the metal roofing, I'm going to go long ways since one sheet will fit just right. The sheets of metal roofing that I have are 16ft x 3ft and since my little pen is 3ft x 10ft, one sheet should do fine, just trimmed down a little. Would 12" be enough height or do I need more?
I would go at least a foot, maybe as much as 16" if it will be out in winter. Do the high end near the coop end, you can make long triangles to fill in the gaps on the sides or stand a 2x4 on edge and cut the end at a sharp angle to match your slope. With a 10ft run you will want to provide a support down the center to support your roof metal long ways. You can put a 10ft 2x4 on edge or 5ft ones with a cross beam halfway if you don't have more 10ft lumber.
It is definitely doable to make it one long run, but the metal can be cut with tin snips to work the other way also...if you have a lot of short boards you may be better off cutting the metal and sloping the short way. If you have the longer boards you can make the 10ft slope instead.
Is there a reason to do the high end on the coop side? I was thinking the opposite way. I'm still trying to figure out this thing lol. I've made about as far as I had in my mind. Now I'm at the complicated stuff lol
High end on coop side means water draining on end away from where you will be working most often to fix roosts and clean their living space. Also less splashing around the plywood box end, so hopefully less water damage to the plywood. It will also give you more height to fix roosts (if you are installing them) and if you put hardware cloth over the 'knee wall' you build it will give you ventilation and a viewing window into the boxed end.
Handsome felloOh man, GOOD LUCK. They are incredibly hard to sex. We have our Ameraucana roo and I so badly wanted him to be a girl for pretty eggs, but alas... When I got him and he started growing both my fiancée and his dad kept saying "Yup that's a rooster" and I was in denial.
Here's Oreo:
View attachment 1266835 View attachment 1266836 View attachment 1266837 View attachment 1266839
Here he is yesterdayHe'll be 1 year old in a few weeks.
View attachment 1266848
When he was growing up I was told to look at his comb for signs of male/female. His legs were noticeably thicker and had larger feet, his feathers were more pointy than what I saw on my other hens. He also did what I call the 'periscope' (keeping his neck stretched up) very often. Like I said... DENIAL.
I would suggest posting to the gender forum - or more specifically an Ameraucana forum and see what others think!
I just gave 20 oak pallets to my mom's neighbor! I get them regularly--next time I will post them here as a give away!
90 chicks so far from this weekend's hatch. Several breeds were "first time this year" hatches -- genetic hackles, kraienkoppes, lavender ameraucana. Beautiful groups of legbars, welbars and olive eggers too, some are silver colored - hens will be white instead of gold in their pattern, with (hopefully) pretty salmon colored breasts.
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