post your chicken coop pictures here!

[MeepBeep]

Warping of OSB won't always be apparent after just a short rain

This is very true, but sometimes it's amazing how fast it can start to deteriorate... With a few days of good rain the stuff can swell like crazy, and the dimensional thickness change can be very obvious... I have seen the 1/2 OSB swell almost 1/8" in thickness overnight with heavy rain with visible signs of 'flaking' on the surface when I did construction for a living...

I like saving money as much as the next guy, but for the floor of a coop I would use nothing short of pressure treated plywood, a few dollars extra now will be worth it in the years to come... And for the sides regular exterior grade plywood... OSB is simply not exposure rated, even with a liberal amount of paint it will fail much, much faster then traditional plywood... That is not to say OSB is useless, when protected from the elements like say under shingles or behind siding it works well, and it's also fine for quick and dirty builds that are not expected to last for long...

 

[FarmerPhronc]

Well it looks like chicken math is about to hit here. My neighbor just offered me a coop on a trailer, it's by no means a "tractor" coop. I'm just wondering if anyone has suggestions on whats best to use to clean and disinfect a coop. Don't want to expose my ladies to stuff when I move them.

 

[Sylvester017]

I'm thinking about trying that. My mom used sulphur on the ground around the outside of her fence and house, but I don't want my animals getting into that. She lived in a swampy area and never had snakes in the back yard but would in the front.

The main thing is to hang the mothballs in socks high enough on the outside of the coop so the chickens can't curiously reach them.

 

[Sylvester017]

This is very true, but sometimes it's amazing how fast it can start to deteriorate... With a few days of good rain the stuff can swell like crazy, and the dimensional thickness change can be very obvious... I have seen the 1/2 OSB swell almost 1/8" in thickness overnight with heavy rain with visible signs of 'flaking' on the surface when I did construction for a living...

I like saving money as much as the next guy, but for the floor of a coop I would use nothing short of pressure treated plywood, a few dollars extra now will be worth it in the years to come... And for the sides regular exterior grade plywood... OSB is simply not exposure rated, even with a liberal amount of paint it will fail much, much faster then traditional plywood... That is not to say OSB is useless, when protected from the elements like say under shingles or behind siding it works well, and it's also fine for quick and dirty builds that are not expected to last for long...

What scares me is all the new construction going up everywhere in our L.A. County area using OSB walls instead of plywood. Those interior sheets will crumble and then what will hold up the structure - our brand new roof had a leak and can you imagine the damage if our contractor had used OSB? No wonder there's so much "settling" going on in new buildings!!!!! Unbelievable that the building codes allow this junk!!!!

 

[FarmerPhronc]

I accidentally bought a different heat lamp with a "C" handle to hang it with rather than the clamps and i think i actually like that one better. Certainly can't be knocked down. It still gets down to 30 at night so I'm leaving the lamps in til it warmes up a little more. They are half grown but still act like they are cold sometimes and always huddle under the lamps when they rest.

It gets down to -35 here in Colorado and I've never used heat lamps. I've heard to many horror stories about coops burning down. Just ask TJ Jordan.

 

[Sylvester017]

There are no native snakes in north america that can eat mature chickens but most chickens will find snakes to be good eats. Most of the stuff you hear about snakes bothering animals is based on old wives tales. In Fla there are some imported species that are very dangerous, even to humans and the venomous ones in various parts of the country but most of them won't bite animals they can't eat. I'm thinking a snake in a chicken coop is in more danger than the chickens

Snakes are egg eaters and can be a nuisance to egg-seller businesses. As for being a danger to adult chickens - I would guess it depends on how lethargic sleeping hens are to ignore a possibly poisonous or constrictor snake to catch the chicken off-guard. My Blue Wheaten Ameraucana is a very wary skittish alert hen and just a creak of the egg collection door at night and she's standing bright-eyed and alert. The other hens might dope-illy blink but don't move a muscle when roosting at night - that's when we find the hens easiest to pick up for health maintenance checks. Now, during the day, I'd love to watch a flock of hens attack a snake that dares enter their domain!!!! We get a kick out of watching them chase stray cats out of the yard!

 

[cabinchicky]

For those of you who can add Guinea to your flock for mice, rats and snakes. They even go after rattle snakes out west as seen on video. Being in a woods with farm land near mice are horrible. Just waiting for my 3 to grow up so I can turn them loose in the yard.
@Sylvester017 I use heat lamp with the c hook and clamp both and I still worry will be glad when I can turn them off.

 

[Sylvester017]

For those of you who can add Guinea to your flock for mice, rats and snakes. They even go after rattle snakes out west as seen on video. Being in a woods with farm land near mice are horrible. Just waiting for my 3 to grow up so I can turn them loose in the yard.
@Sylvester017 I use heat lamp with the c hook and clamp both and I still worry will be glad when I can turn them off.

I would love Guinea for mice/rats but I hear Guinea are very loud/noisy -- sadly they wouldn't work in our quiet suburban-type neighborhood. I'm embarrassed enough when my hens do their egg song in the morning!

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

The neighbors one each side of me the horse stables and the Mennonite family have Guineas and chickens u name it they have it we live on two acres on a quiet road in the woods

 

[beautifulpirate]

There are no native snakes in north america that can eat mature chickens but most chickens will find snakes to be good eats. Most of the stuff you hear about snakes bothering animals is based on old wives tales. In Fla there are some imported species that are very dangerous, even to humans and the venomous ones in various parts of the country but most of them won't bite animals they can't eat. I'm thinking a snake in a chicken coop is in more danger than the chickens

They sure will eat the eggs though if they can get to them.

Well it looks like chicken math is about to hit here. My neighbor just offered me a coop on a trailer, it's by no means a "tractor" coop. I'm just wondering if anyone has suggestions on whats best to use to clean and disinfect a coop. Don't want to expose my ladies to stuff when I move them. 

I've heard a lot of people use ACV. We plan on making our own and using it for cleaning purposes as well as adding it to their water because it's good for their gut.