The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mumsy]

I really like using the posts for anchoring the hoop - especially if you're going to leave it in place for awhile. I think that would be easier for me than building a wood base frame. The wood frame seems like it would be good for dragging it around to a different place if you were so inclined.

My husband wanted to frame it with lumber but I persisted in not. Wood outdoors does not last long before decay sets in. Average of three to five years before posts start to lean and braces warp. Our rain here is legendary and I live on the edge of a for real rain forest. The ground my posts are sunk in is made up of very deep soft rock free loam. The posts would pull out with very little leverage. This structure could come down and put back up in a few hours. That's all it took to erect.

It is finished for now except for the outside run. I am still thinking over about putting a door on the front. The run will be covered. Right now I've put wheel barrows and garden tools inside. Works great. We've had wind and rain for days and the bungee cord is holding down the tarps very well.

 

[Mumsy]

Many of you my friends here in this thread know the saga of Johnny the rescue roo. He is thriving on a regime of FF, DL, Un-ACV laced water, free range, and four hen/pullets for company. Today I had to deal with mud on the path leading from the back door to the barn/coop. I really wanted to ask hubby to build me a bridge. Hah!

but took a grass hay bale and spread that out over the mud instead. The barn yard is where my orchard and fenced in potager garden is located all in close proximity to the barn/coop. Very much hidden from the house and road view. Normally I would have used straw but I don't like straw any longer. It takes too long to rot and break down and hides mites and lice. So...My reasoning with the grass hay is that it will break down quickly, the chickens like to scratch around and forage in it and it will reseed this area in the Spring voluntarily. Win, win, win!

Johnny and his girls checking out the mud covered in grass hay. If you look at them closely you can see them start to eye the sky.


About a nano second later the hens scattered to hide and Johnny stood his ground. I looked up and watched an eagle cruise over head! Good job Johnny!

 

[Leahs Mom]

So good to see Johnny looking so healthy - and doing his job!

 

[Mumsy]

So good to see Johnny looking so healthy - and doing his job!

Thank you. It is a joy to watch him bloom and find his niche in the world.

 

[bobbi-j]

All we did with the six foot t posts was drive them in the ground 52 inches apart. Bent the panels over and used heavy duty fence staples to secure the bottom part of the panels to the 4'x4' wooden back fence posts. Then we used zip ties to hold the panels to each other and the t posts. Couldn't be easier.

I'm thinking this covered in clear plastic would make a nice, inexpensive greenhouse for early spring plants and starting seeds. I makes me crazy when I have to wait and wait until it warms up before I can go out and play in the dirt!

 

[Bulldogma]

Leah's Mom wrote the most wonderful article for the blog on sprouting seeds for chickens!

See her wonderful post Here!

 

[texasmomma]

And here is what she wrote about the difference between fermenting with yeast and acv.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...keeping-thread-ots-welcome/1270#post_10121259

 

[kian]

AH! I was on the wrong thread! However I did find a lot of her posts about it so you were very helpful to me Thanks texasmomma!

 

[Mumsy]

I'm thinking this covered in clear plastic would make a nice, inexpensive greenhouse for early spring plants and starting seeds. I makes me crazy when I have to wait and wait until it warms up before I can go out and play in the dirt!

Yes! You are absolutely right! I will be erecting one or two of these myself with 4 mil plastic as well to get a bed of lettuce and a bed of pepper plants going earlier.

 

[texasmomma]

AH! I was on the wrong thread! However I did find a lot of her posts about it so you were very helpful to me Thanks texasmomma!

Or maybe not. I get the threads confused. Glad you found it! LOL