Sealing cracks? Pics added.

[AllisonK]

So we keep running into snags building our first coop. I pot together the nest boxes yesterday and there are a few cracks where the wood was not cut straight. What can I use to seal these with? The biggest cracks are on the back where the door swings down on hinges so I can't have something attached to both sides. Does this make any sense?

 

[kinnip]

Sound like a job for caulk.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Could you take some pics? I don't know if you need to seal the cracks I think I would just fill it with straw and be done. BUT that depends on how large the cracks. I don't know if I would use caulk, the chickens pick on everything...they would prob pick it off and eat it. That can't be to good for them.

 

[AllisonK]

Quote:
So just go look for caulk at Home Depot? I have bathroom caulk is this the same? I need specifics as I am building impaired.

I'll go take some pics/upload now if the kids will let me get it done.

 

[kinnip]

Home Depot should have some tubes of polyethylene caulk. It will harden a lot more than bathroom silicone and is weatherproof. If you smooth it out nicely, there shouldn't be too much to pick at.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

my choice was 100% silicone caulk. While it doesn't get "hard" it remains rubbery but sticks to dang near anything. It's the same product used to seal the glass on fish tanks.

 

[AllisonK]

Okay here are pictures:

Right Side:

Left Side:

The run will be fully enclosed with hardware cloth on sides and roof. We are digging down at least 12 inches and extending outward with more hardware cloth. The door is an old 5x4 wooden window screen also covered in hardware cloth so hopefully pretty secure. I do not want anything eating my girls. Last night we noticed scratch marks on the wood of the temporary housing we have them in. (We were supposed to be done by now)

And because I took a picture while I was out there:

Okay looking at the pictures has me thinking that I might just take the hinges off and cut a bit off the bottom and it may fit inside. Hmmm.

 

[Riparian]

Maybe you could trim that board up so it would fit into the crack?

 

[FutureChickenMan]

that'd be a lot of caulking.

 

[5peeps]

It looks like caulking won't work because the door is hinged ( I am assuming )

I would cut about a 1/4 to 1/2 in. off of the door so it sit in closer then hinge it from the bottom and get a paddle lock hinge for the top they even make ones that you can screw to the top and rap around to the front .

You could also look into Weather Stripping ( but the chicks might pick at it )

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...ance_1=100&showStores=false&categoryID=502027


If that doesn't work you can try what I did put a board across the top and bottom and the door in the middle . See picture