The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[Chookwagn]

My husband sent me this while I was at work last night. I didn’t get time at work to post it here so I am posting it in between shifts before work again tonight. One of my incomplete BTR pullets finally laid! It is the one in with the Buff cockerel. Unfortunately I don’t think he is breeding her yet but at least one of the pullets has finally laid!

View attachment 4242197

Start up the incubator

 

[The Moonshiner]

And at least you have them paired up and penned up.

 

[NagemTX]

Tarp transplant done. It doesn't cover as much as the old one but it'll do for now.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Tarp transplant done. It doesn't cover as much as the old one but it'll do for now.

Curious...
Where's this tarp located? Roof, side, or?
How quality was the tarp? One of those really cheap ones, or?
How long did it last?
Anyone else that's used them on pens can jump in.
I don't have any tarps included in my chickening but I've considered it. I have 2 8 x 12 pens side by side so 16 x 12 the top is chainlink. One has a shelter attached and the other I don't use because it doesn't yet.
Plan on building one for it next year and they'll be able to get out of the weather but when it rains that pen is a muddy mess for days. Thought about stretching a tarp over it. Raised a bit where they connect so it'll have a little slope.
I just didn't know how well or long it'd last or if I'd HAVE TO get a heavy duty one.
Another pen is open on both ends and front. Fronts not so bad because roof overhangs a bit but blowing rain will come in the sides. Thought about doing something tarp wise there too. It might also stop winter wind from blowing through so maybe I could use it in winter if needed. One side is my Call pen that I was gonna move them from.
Use it for them because they don't mind a mud pen as much as I do.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I have used a tarp on a run. Once. Never again. It was probably from Harbor Freight (in its defense).

 

[NagemTX]

Curious...
Where's this tarp located? Roof, side, or?
How quality was the tarp? One of those really cheap ones, or?
How long did it last?
Anyone else that's used them on pens can jump in.
I don't have any tarps included in my chickening but I've considered it. I have 2 8 x 12 pens side by side so 16 x 12 the top is chainlink. One has a shelter attached and the other I don't use because it doesn't yet.
Plan on building one for it next year and they'll be able to get out of the weather but when it rains that pen is a muddy mess for days. Thought about stretching a tarp over it. Raised a bit where they connect so it'll have a little slope.
I just didn't know how well or long it'd last or if I'd HAVE TO get a heavy duty one.
Another pen is open on both ends and front. Fronts not so bad because roof overhangs a bit but blowing rain will come in the sides. Thought about doing something tarp wise there too. It might also stop winter wind from blowing through so maybe I could use it in winter if needed. One side is my Call pen that I was gonna move them from.
Use it for them because they don't mind a mud pen as much as I do.

The tarps I use are the brown and silver ones from Lowes. I think they are 15 to 20 mil so not the cheapest. My coops here are basically runs that are 2/3rds covered by tarp.

Mud in the pen is minimal after useing the big chunk mulch. The pen the tarp came off of has pea gravel as its base. I still need to mulch that pen.

I usually use a tarp that covers top, back and one side. The replacement only covers the top I think its a 12 x 16, the one that was on the pen was a 16 x 20. It covered the top 2/3erds, down the back side to the bottom and down the left side(north side) to the bottom. I did use another tarp on the north side to block some of the wind.

My pens are 9ft wide by 18ft long and 6ft high. A metal frame that has a curved top and covered by hardware cloth. With being on the Texas coast these are just easier to deal with. Heat and humidity are my biggest battles down here vs. winter weather that we have little of.

The tarps last about 3 to 4 years. They would last longer if I bought the good heavy canvas ones but they are super expensive. Like $200 for a 12x16.

I think I covered all the questions.

Oh hardest part on this replacement was moving the second pen I have attached to the main one as they are the same size.

 

[BlueBaby]

The tarps I use are the brown and silver ones from Lowes. I think they are 15 to 20 mil so not the cheapest. My coops here are basically runs that are 2/3rds covered by tarp.

Mud in the pen is minimal after useing the big chunk mulch. The pen the tarp came off of has pea gravel as its base. I still need to mulch that pen.

I usually use a tarp that covers top, back and one side. The replacement only covers the top I think its a 12 x 16, the one that was on the pen was a 16 x 20. It covered the top 2/3erds, down the back side to the bottom and down the left side(north side) to the bottom. I did use another tarp on the north side to block some of the wind.

My pens are 9ft wide by 18ft long and 6ft high. A metal frame that has a curved top and covered by hardware cloth. With being on the Texas coast these are just easier to deal with. Heat and humidity are my biggest battles down here vs. winter weather that we have little of.

The tarps last about 3 to 4 years. They would last longer if I bought the good heavy canvas ones but they are super expensive. Like $200 for a 12x16.

I think I covered all the questions.

Oh hardest part on this replacement was moving the second pen I have attached to the main one as they are the same size.

Wouldn't those canvas ones absorb the water and then leak through?

I only use those sunscreen ones in the summer to help with keeping the sunscreen heat off of them and put up misters. They let the air blow through though. The top of my run is covered.

I need to build another coop and run soon though, because I'll need it if I can get my hands on the buff leghorns. I want those to have their own for breeding them later.

 

[NagemTX]

Wouldn't those canvas ones absorb the water and then leak through?

I only use those sunscreen ones in the summer to help with keeping the sunscreen heat off of them and put up misters. They let the air blow through though. The top of my run is covered.

I need to build another coop and run soon though, because I'll need it if I can get my hands on the buff leghorns. I want those to have their own for breeding them later.

The canvas is oiled and waxed. They don't leak till they are old and even then you can re-wax and re-oil them.

Misters don't work with our high humidity.

 

[BlueBaby]

The canvas is oiled and waxed. They don't leak till they are old and even then you can re-wax and re-oil them.

Misters don't work with our high humidity.

Ok that should work for those of you that get more rain then I do over here.

 

[The Moonshiner]

The tarps I use our the brown and silver ones from Lowes. I think they are 15 to 20 mil so not the cheapest. My coops here are basically runs that are 2/3rds covered by tarp.

Mud in the pen is minimal after useing the big chunk mulch. The pen the tarp came off of has pea gravel as its base. I still need to mulch that pen.

I usually use a tarp that covers top, back and one side. The replacement only covers the top I think its a 12 x 16, the one that was on the pen was a 16 x 20. It covered the top 2/3erds, down the back side to the bottom and down the left side(north side) to the bottom. I did use another tarp on the north side to block some of the wind.

My pens are 9ft wide by 18ft long and 6ft high. A metal frame that has a curved top and covered by hardware cloth. With being on the Texas coast these are just easier to deal with. Heat and humidity are my biggest battles down here vs. winter weather that we have little of.

The tarps last about 3 to 4 years. They would last longer if I bought the good heavy canvas ones but they are super expensive. Like $200 for a 12x16.

I think I covered all the questions.

Oh hardest part on this replacement was moving the second pen I have attached to the main one as they are the same size.

Well geez the ones our farm store has were labeled "heavy duty". They didn't seem heavy duty and I've seen plenty that looked thicker.
Theirs are labeled as 10mil . Ya the pricer ones would leave me thinking I could find a better option.