post your chicken coop pictures here!

[vehve]

The heck with that, tell me about those snow rails on the "big coop"!

We had an unusual snow, ice, snow layer last winter - about a foot thick with half of it being ice. I have no pictures of the slabs that blasted off the roof in the spring but my guess is some of them were 100 pounds or more before they hit the deck still just covered with plywood and no railing. I don't think it would look a lot different now if I HAD found time to put up the railing last fall.

It did this to the flange on the plumbing vent:


still on the roof


after removal. I cut out the raised part so I could drill holes in the exact same places in the replacement. Don't need 12
MORE holes in the roof!


The ice hit just at the edge of the deck framing where the rail SHOULD be and I'm sure would have splintered at least some of it.

So I'm looking into rails or cleats. Are both used in Finland or only rail?

I've only seen the rails in use. With new builds, I think it's mandatory to install them above exits and similar areas. They usually work pretty nicely, keep the snow from falling down. I could look into some manufacturers tomorrow and see if some do business in the States. Would you like some close up pictures of them?

 

[iwiw60]

ok now i have a problem, have had chickens for a total of 15 years, never have i had a chicken sleep in the nest well last week i found not one but 4 sleeping in them, dh said he would block them off for night, but what about that early bird egg. i have taken them out and put them on the roost the last 2 nights, oh ya like that helped had more do it, i just finished cleaning this coop and now the nest full of poo, any ideas?

Did DH block all the nesting boxes yet?

 

[gilcamp4]

And these are chickens you have had for some time and in the same coop? That is weird.

yes they are almost 2 and in the same coop, we have a new coop right in the same yard but so far i only got 13 out of 58 to sleep in it, i take a few over to it every night, have fond a new chicken goes to new coop almost every night, hope tonight more will go into it, we will see, i even thought about taken the one sleeping in nest over to new coop, i place them on the roost when i move them at night, i am afraid if DH puts some thing in front of them the early egg will have no were to go and then i will find eggs on floor, and i don't wan that

 

[Sylvester017]

ok now i have a problem, have had chickens for a total of 15 years, never have i had a chicken sleep in the nest well last week i found not one but 4 sleeping in them, dh said he would block them off for night, but what about that early bird egg. i have taken them out and put them on the roost the last 2 nights, oh ya like that helped had more do it, i just finished cleaning this coop and now the nest full of poo, any ideas?

ALL our girls sleep in the nest boxes. Never had one sleep on the roost pole. I think the pole that came with the little coop is way too thin 2x2. They use the pole perch during the day but for sleeping they feel more secure in the round-holed nest boxes. There isn't a major problem for us. The boxes are relatively free of poop - almost like they know the boxes are not for pooping. Every morning my DH wears a plastic food glove and does inspection for cleanup if needed and adds extra straw. We don't mind because the early layers will have an egg waiting in the box.

 

[tntchix]

@iwiw60 Great job!

I can feel your exhaustion from here. Nothing like a sense of accomplishment to make all those aches and pains disappear, right? Do we get pics?

I just love the look on the HomeDepot/Lowes guys faces when I tell them what my plan is for a project. They just shake their heads and help me load. When I show them pics when it's finished, they are so proud of me

as am I.

Now you go sit yer fanny down for a while and rest up.

Rome wasn't built in a day..........neither was our coop. *mutters under breath, where did he put that lumber?*

 

[iwiw60]

@iwiw60 Great job!

I can feel your exhaustion from here. Nothing like a sense of accomplishment to make all those aches and pains disappear, right? Do we get pics?

I just love the look on the HomeDepot/Lowes guys faces when I tell them what my plan is for a project. They just shake their heads and help me load. When I show them pics when it's finished, they are so proud of me

as am I.

Now you go sit yer fanny down for a while and rest up.

Rome wasn't built in a day..........neither was our coop. *mutters under breath, where did he put that lumber?*

I'll post pics as soon as everything is in order....and I can figure out how to turn this !*($#!! camera on! My life...go figure.....

 

[Sylvester017]

Dought I wont see or feel any tornados or earthquakes when I live across the pond

And you don't get Atlantic storms at all? BTW your view is spectacular!

 

[bruceha2000]

I've only seen the rails in use. With new builds, I think it's mandatory to install them above exits and similar areas. They usually work pretty nicely, keep the snow from falling down. I could look into some manufacturers tomorrow and see if some do business in the States. Would you like some close up pictures of them?

There is a company (Alpine Snow Guards) in Morrisville, VT, not 25 miles from me that makes both cleats and rails. Their website says most rail is done on industrial buildings, cleats on residential but that it is an aesthetic thing. I'm seeing more of them on roofs since I started looking into it. Probably because I AM looking into it, just not aware before. But the majority of metal roofed houses have neither.

The roofer said they replaced a whole lot of vent flanges this spring. But he also said keeping the snow on the roof is a 50-50 thing. It COULD possibly leak if it starts to melt underneath (which is what leads to the avalanche in the first place) if it can't leave and you have to make sure your roof can support the load. One of the carpenters was insistent that we pay the extra for double locked seams. He said water can wick up and over a single lock, but it can't go back up and over the inner fold. The house is timber framed, with 8" structural insulated panels under the metal roof all supported by 8"x10" top plates on 10"x12" posts. So it is a "cold" roof, no heat in the attic (no attic anyway) to melt it from the bottom. It took the warmer weather and sun of spring to start it melting.

 

[Sylvester017]

I wonder if people are a bit too cautious. There are tons of plants around the house and barn, I have no idea what many of them are and the chickens are fine. They hang out near and under but don't eat the hostas (which I guess are toxic to them or something) but the 2 variegated ones in front of the house are almost leafless. Woodchuck I think but it ignores the other hostas not more than a few feet away.

From Sylvester 017 - When there is a wide array of foliage for chickens to choose they will eat the correct plants. However if foliage is not varied or plentiful they WILL eat the bad stuff because it's the only available greenery. So it can be pertinent to know the toxics from the safe plants for pets.

 

[vehve]

There is a company (Alpine Snow Guards) in Morrisville, VT, not 25 miles from me that makes both cleats and rails. Their website says most rail is done on industrial buildings, cleats on residential but that it is an aesthetic thing. I'm seeing more of them on roofs since I started looking into it. Probably because I AM looking into it, just not aware before. But the majority of metal roofed houses have neither.

The roofer said they replaced a whole lot of vent flanges this spring. But he also said keeping the snow on the roof is a 50-50 thing. It COULD possibly leak if it starts to melt underneath (which is what leads to the avalanche in the first place) and you have to make sure your roof can support the load. I think I'm OK with the second part since all that was up on the roof for at least 2 months. Plus the house is timber framed, with 8" structural insulated panels under the metal roof all supported by 8"x10" top plates on 10"x12" posts. So it is a "cold" roof, no heat in the attic (no attic anyway) to melt it from the bottom. It took the warmer weather and sun of spring to start it melting. And one of the carpenters was insistent that we pay the extra for double locked seams. He said water can wick up and over a single lock, but it can't go back up and over the inner fold. 

A roof that leaks under snow is either really old or badly built in my opinion.