Starting over - no more ranging

[aart]

(WOAH hardware cloth is expensive

Amazon is cheapest.

 

[cmom]

I used welded wire and chicken wire.

 

[townchicks]

Sounds like you've got a good plan. One thing that I'm thinking might be an issue, is jumping down from such high roosts, onto concrete might be a problem. While you're building, maybe a 6" to 12" lip at the bottom, so the stall can be filled with a thick layer of bedding.
As far as vertical space, I think the theory behind the amount of space needed, is to allow room to escape from bullying, so vertical roosts and ledges certainly can be incorporated to allow that. Good luck, and I hope you can figure out what got your others.

 

[DobieLover]

I think you will have an awesome enclosure for your chickens! If you make lots of platforms and roosts for them along with the suggestions everyone else has mentioned, they will do well.
One other consideration is thick bedding with those concrete floors and high roosts to protect their feet.

 

[jolenesdad]

With the concrete floor, what are your suggestions for flooring?

I could do sand (how many inches should I plan for?)

I could do rubber mats for horse stalls and then use shavings, straw, or hay. (This area doesn’t get wet, so I’m not too concerned with hay, and I have LOTS OF IT with 14 horses...)

Or something else!

I like the sand idea for dust bathing, but thought it would be best to ask yalls thoughts!

 

[aart]

What you use as bedding may depend on how you plan to manage the manure.
What ever you, use I'd block off that drain so it doesn't get clogged.
Wonders, where will you wash your horses?!

 

[townchicks]

I've never used sand, but I like the horse mat idea, as long as they are not scratching it up. You may need to keep a close eye on their nails, as they won't wear down naturally. Sand seems like a good choice if it doesn't get wet, it might be easier than raking out hay every week. IDK, though, I do deep litter, which I think would be hard in your place.

 

[jolenesdad]

Lol @aart! THERES NO CLEAN HORSES WHEN HAWKS ARE AROUND.

Jk. We have another wash stall in the big barn, this was built before we had the big barn and additional spaces. We use it sometimes because of the comvenience to the round pen. But, we can just stand them on the grass or use the wash stall in the big barn. Horses, like chickens, aren’t really picky.

Yes, drain cover first and foremost.

I feel like if I rig a hardware cloth cover over a horse manure rake, I could REALLY manage manure on sand...

 

[aart]

I feel like if I rig a hardware cloth cover over a horse manure rake, I could REALLY manage manure on sand...

Get 1/8" HC for that....and you'll never get it all, so eventually it will become saturated with pulverized poop and if that gets damp...HoooEeeee stinky!
Not a fan of sand, but it can work well in arid climates.

 

[jolenesdad]

@aart is busy crushing my dreams on a Thursday.

Ugh we live at 90% humidity. That seems like a NO GO then. I’d rather hay or straw and muck it out once a week or so then I think.

I see a lot of people
Saying hay can get damp... if I muck it out and there’s no chance for rain or water to get to it.... would I still be okay using it for a week or two at a time?