The Old Folks Home

[ChickenCanoe]

Will there be an enclosure in each or just a roof?

My oldest coop has a tin roof over half of it's adjacent run. Guttering or some other method of shedding water to another area is important to have. My tin roof slopes slightly to the edge of the coop roof which has guttering. Then the water from the gutter is piped to run into the first 2 stages of my compost bins. If we get a lot of rain I can turn the pipe so it shed down hill from the compost.

 

[chickadoodles]

Chick - I hat to ask, but what are the dimensions? I am on my phone (Internet is down) and can't read anything in your pic. It looks very similar to mine.

Each side I have at 12'x50 with a 4' walk way in between and that is 9 pens between the two sides.

 

[chickadoodles]

Will there be an enclosure in each or just a roof?

My oldest coop has a tin roof over half of it's adjacent run. Guttering or some other method of shedding water to another area is important to have. My tin roof slopes slightly to the edge of the coop roof which has guttering. Then the water from the gutter is piped to run into the first 2 stages of my compost bins. If we get a lot of rain I can turn the pipe so it shed down hill from the compost.

I asked DH for a hutch of some type in each pen for them to sleep in. But I am not sure yet. The tin will have a slope to it for run off. Our pasture on that side is flat ground so I don't have a hill but I told DH I want my birds to stay dry. lol What do you all think just nesting boxes or hutches? I don't know...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't know where you live so it's hard to say but perhaps a partial wall along the breezeway and outside of both end pens to act as a windbreak.

I have a friend here who's birds choose to sleep on the roost in the pen and never sleep in the coop year round. It gets really cold here.

The flat ground can be an issue perhaps a swale leading to a French drain where the roof drains.

 

[chickadoodles]

I don't know where you live so it's hard to say but perhaps a partial wall along the breezeway and outside of both end pens to act as a windbreak.

I have a friend here who's birds choose to sleep on the roost in the pen and never sleep in the coop year round. It gets really cold here.

The flat ground can be an issue perhaps a swale leading to a French drain where the roof drains.

I am in Alabama normally we have pretty mild winters and only a frost or mild freeze once in a while. I could do something for protection.
I will look into the suggestions for the French drain. Thanks ChickenCanoe!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Another thing to consider is a dense shade cloth so the roosters don't see each other and end up spending their days chest bumping the fence.

You really won't need a hutch in Alabama and they'll appreciate the breeze in summer.

Figure out a way to make cleanout easy on yourself.

 

[chickadoodles]

Another thing to consider is a dense shade cloth so the roosters don't see each other and end up spending their days chest bumping the fence.

You really won't need a hutch in Alabama and they'll appreciate the breeze in summer.

Figure out a way to make cleanout easy on yourself.

Thanks ChickenCanoe! We can pick up some shade cloth.
I thought that with a 4' breeze way I could use the wheel barrow to shovel the shavings in and then we burn them. That is what we do for the coop and runs. I really don't want to have to pay for sand this year. But we may later on.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I compost the shavings and manure for the gardens.

This is the best source of shade cloth I've found.
remnants
https://www.farmtek.com/farm/suppli...s&breadcrumb_categoryIds=|46353&maxRecords=20

 

[chickadoodles]

I compost the shavings and manure for the gardens.

This is the best source of shade cloth I've found.
remnants
https://www.farmtek.com/farm/suppli...s&breadcrumb_categoryIds=|46353&maxRecords=20

Thanks for the link for shade cloth! I am sure DH will appreciate not doing hutches in each pen and getting shade cloth to hang instead will make him happy.

We are only doing small raised bed gardens now. I cannot bend over to work the ground gardens any longer. We do have a small compost pile but most of the shavings we burn.
DH is going to clean out one of his sheds and let me have if for brooders and rabbits. I wish I could do more to help. But I still cannot walk around the whole grocery store. And I cannot lift anything even milk is a struggle. I am working at it and trying to get stronger. At least I don't have to use the walker any longer! YEA!

 

[ozexpat]

Here is a rough draft of the breeding pens I thought up? I told DH I want them all to be covered with a tin roof.
Please give me some feed back or suggestions as I am still new to all this.



I used the idea ChickenCanoe gave me for a breeze way for feed and water and nest boxes.

looks like a great set up,