Building my (1st) run/coop and garden beds. Follow along.

[Happy Novogens]

I would suggest using wood as filler on the bottom, that's the hügelkultur method. Benefits of using wood in the bottom is that the wood will act like a sponge and retain some water longer and release it to the plants. Also, as the wood breaks down and turns into soil, it actually improves the environment over time.

Plastic bottles will certainly work as a filler, but you won't get the benefits of the sponge-like effect of wood and plastic won't break down over time to enrich your soil like wood will decompose.

I use wood as filler in all my new raised beds. Last year, we had a terrible drought with no rain all summer. I don't have running water in my main garden. My hügelkultur raised beds were the only raised beds that had plants that survived and produced food. That made me a believer in the hügelkultur method. My other raised beds, without wood in the bottom, just dried up and everything in those beds died.

One thing different about hügelkultur raised beds is that as the wood decays, the soil level in the raised bed will drop an inch or two per year. I actually prefer that because I know that the decaying wood is improving the soil below, and I use my chicken run compost to refill the raised bed on the top. So, in theory, every year my raised bed should be getting enriched both the top and bottom. In practice, my hügelkultur raised beds have shown increased productivity every succeeding year.

I've seen that idea! ... it's actually what made me think of bottles instead. Cut wood of 1" to 4" diameters is what I saw. Not sure if it would help much to reduce weight in the bed but I can see how it'd surely help the soil. Not sure where I'd find such wood in my surrounding landscape. If only...

 

[Happy Novogens]

Made a little more progress today...

 

[Happy Novogens]

Here's my use-whatever-I-can-find roost/coop area. I'll have to try to get a better photo as it can be difficult to make out perspective in this. I still need the roof on the part outlined in yellow. The left side has the perch. The right side may or may not have an additional perch. Since that area will be covered, was thinking of using that right side for food/water.

How high will hens "hop/fly" to get up. I'm guessing I'll need some steps or ramp for the nestbox and for the roost?

Another question: I assume it is safe to paint the wood, yes? I was thinking of those side plywood pieces perhaps, to help them last a bit longer against the sun. (Rain is not much of an issue since we get 7" only per year.)

 

[Happy Novogens]

Have a roof now on the "coop." Added a mister system. Sturdied up the structure.
Attached a quail cup to a 5 gallon bucket. Made a bucket feeding system with pvc-type elbows. (The concrete blocks will be stands for the water bucket and feeder.)

 

[Happy Novogens]

Oh so close to being finished! Feeder bucket complete, water bucket with quail cups complete.
Mister system all set and tested. Shade cloth on.
Just need hardware mesh on the front side next to the door -- then we can get our chickens!! Mesh is scheduled to arrive today.

 

[BobbieB7]

Finally taking the leap and building a chicken run/coop along with some raised garden beds.

Thought I'd share the journey and hope to get suggestions, cautions, etc. along the way.

We are near Phoenix, AZ... so it does get very HOT here! The plan is to get 2 or 3 Buff Orpington hens!

Here's the 10' x 20' frame I just put up for the chicken run. My plan is to have an open-ish coop inside. We have to frame in one end of the run. The other end will frame with a screen door.
Plan to have hardware mesh around bottom portion graduating up to chicken wire on the roof.


I also am in the process of building 3 elevated and raised garden beds. I've completed the sides and frames.
Almost done with the "floors" -- using old pallets for that.

It's been so hot out that I've only been working on them after the sun goes down. We'll have to plumb a water line out to both the chicken run and the gardens. We have to pull from the far side of our arsenic filter since our well water is high in arsenic. Figured we don't want to water our edible veggies or eggs with bad water. Once we've got water there, then I'll also be able to setup a mister for the chickens.

I would add a water collection system to go into rain barrels.
I would guess you don’t get a bunch of rain but every drop count’s! I leave my water in milk jugs a few days to let chemicals dissipate. I wonder if the arsenic would dissipate? I do this for my house plants and gardens as well

 

[BobbieB7]

I would suggest using wood as filler on the bottom, that's the hügelkultur method. Benefits of using wood in the bottom is that the wood will act like a sponge and retain some water longer and release it to the plants. Also, as the wood breaks down and turns into soil, it actually improves the environment over time.

Plastic bottles will certainly work as a filler, but you won't get the benefits of the sponge-like effect of wood and plastic won't break down over time to enrich your soil like wood will decompose.

I use wood as filler in all my new raised beds. Last year, we had a terrible drought with no rain all summer. I don't have running water in my main garden. My hügelkultur raised beds were the only raised beds that had plants that survived and produced food. That made me a believer in the hügelkultur method. My other raised beds, without wood in the bottom, just dried up and everything in those beds died.

One thing different about hügelkultur raised beds is that as the wood decays, the soil level in the raised bed will drop an inch or two per year. I actually prefer that because I know that the decaying wood is improving the soil below, and I use my chicken run compost to refill the raised bed on the top. So, in theory, every year my raised bed should be getting enriched both the top and bottom. In practice, my hügelkultur raised beds have shown increased productivity every succeeding year.

Totally agree! When plan on plants to grow you definitely need to take how deep and wide their root system is as well.
Basil surprisingly has a huge root system. So need to definitely wed to plan carefully for healthy roots

 

[Happy Novogens]

I would add a water collection system to go into rain barrels.
I would guess you don’t get a bunch of rain but every drop count’s! I leave my water in milk jugs a few days to let chemicals dissipate. I wonder if the arsenic would dissipate? I do this for my house plants and gardens as well

We average only 7" rain per year. Nevertheless, we recently put some gutters on our porch roof to direct the water to the ends. We have been considering putting something there to collect it then.

 

[Happy Novogens]

Not a great photo, but figured I should post the completed run/coop.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I've seen that idea! ... it's actually what made me think of bottles instead. Cut wood of 1" to 4" diameters is what I saw. Not sure if it would help much to reduce weight in the bed but I can see how it'd surely help the soil. Not sure where I'd find such wood in my surrounding landscape. If only...

That landscape pic reminds me of when I lived in Black Canyon City. I'm really liking your thread!