Gardening / Homesteading

[The Guy In Pants]

On 3/9/2022 at 7:47 PM, IDBillzFan said:

 

We bought this when we first decided to do chickens. It is awesome (and on sale when we got it), VERY easy to put together, and has never had a single issue for the past couple of years.

 

Now, however, wifey wants a larger run and coop, so we're starting again, but looking at something someone local has built. And we'll keep this one for other things like chicken care, etc.

 

Nice; how big a coop/run did she talk you into? Mine should be ready to go next week. We have 4 lavender orpington and 4 barred rock hens on hold at a local farm who raises them. Starting with 8. No rooster. This is a pic of what mine should look like. I am going to bury hardware cloth and rocks along the outside edge to curb any digging to get in. First; they'll have to pass the electric fencing. 

 

 

 

Predators are my big worry. Coyotes especially. Bought a new scope and coyote light for my rifle. Picked up some seemingly cheap but pretty damn useful night vision off of amazon. I was skeptical but a lot of people recommended them on homestead/off grid forums. They work really well and the image quality is HD. Hopefully they continue to stand on that level of performance. 

 

 

[IDBillzFan]

3 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

 

Nice; how big a coop/run did she talk you into? Mine should be ready to go next week. We have 4 lavender orpington and 4 barred rock hens on hold at a local farm who raises them. Starting with 8. No rooster. This is a pic of what mine should look like. I am going to bury hardware cloth and rocks along the outside edge to curb any digging to get in. First; they'll have to pass the electric fencing. 

 

 

 

Predators are my big worry. Coyotes especially. Bought a new scope and coyote light for my rifle. Picked up some seemingly cheap but pretty damn useful night vision off of amazon. I was skeptical but a lot of people recommended them on homestead/off grid forums. They work really well and the image quality is HD. Hopefully they continue to stand on that level of performance. 

 

 

 

One of the reasons we're doing this is because wifey wants a longer, covered run. We don't deal with coyotes so much up here, though they ARE here. Likewise with mountain lions. Rare, but here.  We mostly look out for hawks, which are plentiful. 

[The Guy In Pants]

On 3/21/2022 at 10:11 AM, IDBillzFan said:

 

One of the reasons we're doing this is because wifey wants a longer, covered run. We don't deal with coyotes so much up here, though they ARE here. Likewise with mountain lions. Rare, but here.  We mostly look out for hawks, which are plentiful. 

 

Hawks cause enough problems haha

 

[The Guy In Pants]

Coop arrived yesterday. Ran out and got some paint. Have some finishing touches to do on it but, the ladies come home to roost on Saturday. I'll pick them up first thing.

 

[RochesterRob]

3 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

Coop arrived yesterday. Ran out and got some paint. Have some finishing touches to do on it but, the ladies come home to roost on Saturday. I'll pick them up first thing.

 

  Make sure any seams are tight.  Predators including snakes like eggs and sometimes the birds themselves.  

[Foxx]

5 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

Coop arrived yesterday. Ran out and got some paint.

Very nice. Looks like wet PT lumber, might want to wait a year before staining it. Of course, I don't know how the chickens would like that though.

[mead107]

8 hours ago, The Guy In Pants said:

Coop arrived yesterday. Ran out and got some paint. Have some finishing touches to do on it but, the ladies come home to roost on Saturday. I'll pick them up first thing.

 

Part of that would make a great she shed. 🥸

[The Guy In Pants]

4 hours ago, RochesterRob said:

  Make sure any seams are tight.  Predators including snakes like eggs and sometimes the birds themselves.  

Yes sir; working on those seems this afternoon :)

[The Guy In Pants]

10 minutes ago, mead107 said:

Part of that would make a great she shed. 🥸

It’s actually very roomy

[The Guy In Pants]

3 hours ago, Foxx said:

Very nice. Looks like wet PT lumber, might want to wait a year before staining it. Of course, I don't know how the chickens would like that though.

It is relatively dry. Treated to be in contact with the ground. When I asked about painting he said to do it right away so not sure exactly how treated. Lol

[Foxx]

10 minutes ago, The Guy In Pants said:

It is relatively dry. Treated to be in contact with the ground. When I asked about painting he said to do it right away so not sure exactly how treated. Lol

Are you painting or staining? Personally, I would use a semi-transparent stain. It will penetrate the wood and actually protect it while not sitting on top of the wood. Of course your manufacturer may have a different idea.

[The Guy In Pants]

15 hours ago, Foxx said:

Are you painting or staining? Personally, I would use a semi-transparent stain. It will penetrate the wood and actually protect it while not sitting on top of the wood. Of course your manufacturer may have a different idea.

 

Momma said she wanted a white coop lol; it's been painted white. all except the bottom skids. She wants the trim a darker brown than the roof. She found a sign that said "Fluffy Butt Hut" with a picture of a chicken. As long as she is happy 🙂

Edited March 31, 2022 by The Guy In Pants

[Fansince88]

On 3/20/2021 at 9:42 AM, Foxx said:

Will be starting my tomato seedlings today. And with the nice weather that is forecast for the coming week, building a work bench in the greenhouse I rebuilt last year.

Did mine a week this Sunday. Got tomatoes sprouting already. 

[Fansince88]

On 3/21/2022 at 10:11 AM, IDBillzFan said:

 

One of the reasons we're doing this is because wifey wants a longer, covered run. We don't deal with coyotes so much up here, though they ARE here. Likewise with mountain lions. Rare, but here.  We mostly look out for hawks, which are plentiful. 

Here? Where is Here?

[IDBillzFan]

12 hours ago, Fansince88 said:

Here? Where is Here?

 

Northern Idaho.

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

8 hours ago, IDBillzFan said:

 

Northern Idaho.

 

What, it never occurred to you to answer "Philadelphia?"

[IDBillzFan]

1 hour ago, Crap Throwing Monkey said:

 

What, it never occurred to you to answer "Philadelphia?"

 

No, but I came damn close to responding "Macungie, PA."

[Fansince88]

22 hours ago, IDBillzFan said:

 

Northern Idaho.

AHHHH! ID! have you considered what the y call Chicken Tractors? 

 

[IDBillzFan]

2 hours ago, Fansince88 said:

AHHHH! ID! have you considered what the y call Chicken Tractors? 

 

 

These are used a lot up here when you're raising meat chickens, which isn't something we're inclined to do. My neighbor built three of them. He and two other neighbors went in on a couple hundred meat chickens, and they spent weeks moving those damn things around.

 

What I need is closer to what @The Guy In Pantshad built, where they have multiple nesting boxes, etc.

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

16 hours ago, IDBillzFan said:

 

No, but I came damn close to responding "Macungie, PA."

 

SA-LUTE!