Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[jvls1942]

good morning,
I slept like a baby in our new bed.
I cried myself to sleep and then wet the bed.

No AC in the windows. no problem last night.
opened the windows, put a fan in from of one
to pull in the cool night air and it was very
comfortable. I like that better than AC any day..

our house guests woke up at 5:30Am and by 5:45Am were long gone.

I have a lot of debris to pick up from the window packing material.
gained another pallet. they come in handy once in awhile.

the chicken buyer didn't show up last night.
big surprise, eh??

our overnight guest asked Annie if he made the roosters crow when he went outside this morning..
I would have told him "yes",, but Annie told him the truth.

......jiminwisc........

 

[speckled6]

Babylady-any word on the house? So frustrating dealing with people like that... I hope if this one didn't work out there's another (better) one soon.
Jim-I agree, you just can't stay away from work!
Daethen-I don't know how you've got tomatoes ripening, mine are there, but still green...meh. I need to get that frig pickle recipe from you, I realized yesterday that our pressure cooker disappeared in the move and I don't have a pot big enough to can in.

DH told me if I hadn't spent a wad on rabbits and building their hutch, I could've used that $ to buy a fancy new pressure canner.
This whole homesteading thing costs a bundle...and we're not getting a cent out of it right now. Not looking to get rich, I'd be happy to recover what I've got in it right now (which is probably still under $1000, but with me switching jobs things are kinda tight just now)
At any rate, it'll be a great day when we get our first egg.
And we did get the cement pad in for the wood burner. Digging the trench for the connection to the house this weekend.
Painting the fence for the dogs today to try to make it last a couple years at least...yes, pallets do come in handy, our entire dog fence is made of pallets and it's holding up beautifully so far, just need to slap some paint on it to protect it from the elements.
I finally got the lock on the chicken door today too. We've been lucky so far, but I didn't want to tempt fate anymore than I already have.
Well, off to get the teenagers up to help paint... they'll be so excited (or not)
jean

 

[kokosmom2]

I need some help please. The guy in Middleton who was going to build my permanent coop, doesn't have time. So I'm getting a carpenter to build me one. It is going to be 8x10 made out of treated lumber and sided with vinyl siding. It will have a person door and a chicken door. The roof will be flat on an angle (not like this: /\ ) He hasn't built a coop before but will do what I tell him to do. My help need is: How much ventilation do I tell him to put in? The front of the coop with the people door will face North. I thought windows on the front and back ...but what about the sides? And how big should the windows be? He's going to have vents in the overhang, but I don't think that is enough. What about vents in the roof? I've been reading like crazy on this site, but I'm overwhelmed at the moment with all the info

 

[speckled6]

I need some help please. The guy in Middleton who was going to build my permanent coop, doesn't have time. So I'm getting a carpenter to build me one. It is going to be 8x10 made out of treated lumber and sided with vinyl siding. It will have a person door and a chicken door. The roof will be flat on an angle (not like this: /\ ) He hasn't built a coop before but will do what I tell him to do. My help need is: How much ventilation do I tell him to put in? The front of the coop with the people door will face North. I thought windows on the front and back ...but what about the sides? And how big should the windows be? He's going to have vents in the overhang, but I don't think that is enough. What about vents in the roof? I've been reading like crazy on this site, but I'm overwhelmed at the moment with all the info

Hi kokosmom, I found this in the threads, hope it helps.

1 square foot of ventilation per chicken, but the more you can put in, the better.

Another thread said they put ventilation in the roof where it meets the walls, 8x16 covered with hardware cloth... that is great ventilation as it goes over the chickens heads and doesn't cause a draft from what I've read. That coop was 8x10' and he put in a people door and 1 window on the front, 2 windows on the back. It's under Cheryl's hen house, poster is TerryH ... great thread if you have time to read the beginning coop building part.
jean

 

[kokosmom2]

Thanks jean....I'll see if I can find that thread and read it. I want this coop to be good for them and me and I don't want them dying in winter because of the lack of ventilation and too much humidty

 

[tk10]

I need some help please. The guy in Middleton who was going to build my permanent coop, doesn't have time. So I'm getting a carpenter to build me one. It is going to be 8x10 made out of treated lumber and sided with vinyl siding. It will have a person door and a chicken door. The roof will be flat on an angle (not like this: /\ ) He hasn't built a coop before but will do what I tell him to do. My help need is: How much ventilation do I tell him to put in? The front of the coop with the people door will face North. I thought windows on the front and back ...but what about the sides? And how big should the windows be? He's going to have vents in the overhang, but I don't think that is enough. What about vents in the roof? I've been reading like crazy on this site, but I'm overwhelmed at the moment with all the info

I personally would buy coop plans. There are also some free ones. This way you get the plans from someone who has experience with chickens and can think of things you might not. That is assuming you are brand new to chickens and don't have experience yourself. Keep us posted, especially on rough costs...I've been considering hiring out myself since I'm not as diy-ey as I'd like.
I may have a buyer for all the chicks if they don't flake out like the last one.
Spent yesterday working on the kitchen floor. I had planned on tiling over the linoleum directly, but my roommate and my son talked me into removing the linoleum. It's not 100% removed yet, but will be by next Tuesday when my son will return to help with the tiling. My house is in total disarray but I can handle that for just a week plus setting time for the tile. As long as it's done before the school year starts!

Next year the big project will be to put in central air and possibly furnace. It's working fine but is just about 25 years old. Assuming it makes it through this coming winter! Fingers crossed because the tax return will be paying for a good chunk of it...

 

[jvls1942]

good afternoon,
I think someone is pulling your leg.
a square foot of ventilation per chicken ??
in a house the ventilation is a ratio of
1 square inch per 200 square inches .
If you plan on going into the coop once or twice per day, i don't think you really need any venting. just by opening the door you will have about a 100% air exchange.

I would not put a vent through the roof.it is not necessary and you are just asking for water to leak at that point.

what I would do is leave a 2 inch wide slot right at the very top of the tallest wall.cover it with 1/4 inch hdwe cloth make the slot as long as the distance between two studs.

I wouldn't buy plans for a coop. just get good ideas from chicken people of what works for them and tell your carpenter what you want.
if he can't do it, find another carpenter.
a good carpenter should be able to build you a 10x8 ft shed without using any plans.
after all, it's just a large wooden box.

.......jiminwisc......

.

 

[kokosmom2]

So Jim, do you think I need windows in it so they get some light? I'm not adding electric to the coop altho I do have an outside electric box where the previous owners had a Koi pond (the coop is going to be in the same area as that pond was. That "pond" was just a plastic thing that I dug out and then filled the area in with dirt)

cheri

 

[jvls1942]

windows are good,
electric is nice, too.
I would put windows on the south side to take advantage of the winter sun.

I reworked my people door.
it swings in. and the threshold is 4 inches higher than the floor.. that way no litter blocks the door when I open it. the door swings over it..

make the people door at least 30 inches wide.
wide enough to get a wheel barrow through.

...jiminwisc......

 

[kokosmom2]

Great points. Thanks Jim

cheri