Pictures of roost "huddle boxes" please......

[DawnSuiter]

I have to box in these roosts first

I am working toward simple cardboard boxes over half the roosts with a door where the roost is so they can walk on down and get inside...

 

[tdgill]

i love your webpage btw!

I like the cardboard idea too. if for no other reason its cheap, there's no committment and its easily discarded come summer time. i suppose whatever we do, we will want to make sure that we dont make it MORE humid (actually increasing the chance for frostbite?) cardboard would absorb moisture and one could tell how it was working. I also thought of making a straw hover. Was gonna tie up slices of straw to my bunny cage, remove the floor attach it to the roost and put a ramp up under cage. lol But it isnt really big enough and I am not sure that they would like a totally enclosed space. my bet is not. straw would be cool to use somehow. also thought of using leftover chicken wire and make a straw hover. as soon as we get done insulating i will try it and post some pics

 

[DawnSuiter]

Quote:
Oh sorry, tenderkat's then. But the same is really true of the first pic too I think. I have one coop

and I just throw up a piece of plywood over 80% of the opening.. leaving the far LEFT end open completely... that's where they walk in.

added.. I also plastic the back wall window/vent. That still leaves plenty of ventilation as the floor is vented and the walls are far from solid. This one worked through last year... large combs, no frostbite.

 

[tenderkat]

Quote:
I salvaged the window out of an old house. I actually have the interior storm window to reinstall, which I kept out over the summer after building the coop. That should create a bit of an extra buffer against the outside cold, but my girls LOVE looking out that window!!

 

[DawnSuiter]

They'll still be able to see through it then.
If nothing else... glue a piece of plexiglass over the opening.. they'll still see through that

 

[tdgill]

Quote:
Oh sorry, tenderkat's then. But the same is really true of the first pic too I think. I have one coop
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_ziEU9EdnVLI/SwQzGQSjjDI/AAAAAAAADEs/_9smqjbn7JA/s400/100_3435.JPG
and I just throw up a piece of plywood over 80% of the opening.. leaving the far LEFT end open completely... that's where they walk in.

added.. I also plastic the back wall window/vent. That still leaves plenty of ventilation as the floor is vented and the walls are far from solid. This one worked through last year... large combs, no frostbite.

I really like your coops. amazing isnt it? good air, no frostbite.

 

[DawnSuiter]

Thank you very much

The only reason I'm considering covering the other perches is because we are expecting a BLISTERY winter this year. The open coops that I need to do this for have plastic on the back of the coops (one long continuous piece that runs the length of all of them) but still have open fronts, which face the winter sun. However, my house & mountain prevent any significant winds from entering the fronts. I have a fenced in yard with 2 outside dogs & 3 inside dogs who go out often, they have full access to the perimeter & runs for the coops. I feel very lucky with my situation & setup because it all works together to allow me so much open space, which equate to less expensive, less sturdy coops. Which of course feeds my addiction.

Anyway.. last year this was good enough but this year, I want to give them a little extra shelter

 

[feathersnuggles]

Yes, Dawn Suiter, I just spent 1/2 hour reading about your breeding project on your webiste. Wow! I want to learn more about this stuff. Can you recommend a book about chicken genes or creating new genetic strains? I only have a small city lot, so I have no opportunity to try this right now.

But I'd still love to learn more; it sounds complicated, but fascinating! Thanks!

 

[tdgill]

sounds nice...

I hate the windy days here...well winter windy days. Seems to come from any direction at any time. Maybe my area just prone to swirly winds in the cul de sac. lol

 

[DawnSuiter]

Quote:
http://www.chickencolours.com/
Best Ever

Thanks for reading!!!