future coop and run

[Blooie]

Actually for shade in the summer we don't use tarps, we use rolls of landscape fabric. Yep, landscape fabric! One of us stands on each side and we toss the roll over, wind it around metal laths that we got at Lowes, and then secure that to the run. On really hot days we can roll it up on the shady side like window shades. Each roll is about the same width as the cattle panels. They lasted all summer without ripping, too. If you put landscape fabric down, then pour water on it, watch what happens.....the water will roll with the creases and only some of it seeps through the holes in the landscape fabric. Same thing with using it to cover the run. Because it's permeable, breezes go through it without it ballooning like a sail (or a tarp) does. Rainwater mostly runs off, and only a little bit seeps down into the run. Since I'm using deep litter out there, I need a little moisture in the litter without soaking it, so it's the best of both worlds.

Just before winter, we bought more vinyl lattice and arched it over the top of the cattle panels. I love how that looks, so it will stay up all summer now, too. But it kept the greenhouse plastic we put up for winter protection from coming into direct contact with all of the wire ties where the chicken wire was attached to the panels - the plastic was touching the lattice but not the metal of the run itself. Boy, did that work slick! No ripping, even when the winds howled and the snow pressed it down. That lattice acted like a buffer.

This is how it looks with the lattice covering and the plastic put over that.

 

[PapaChaz]

ok great idea, the landscape cloth. I had a landscaping business years ago, very familiar with it. I had also thought about the shade cloth they use at the big landscape centers instead of a tarp, not much rain will come through that either.

I showed your coop and run to my son in law to help him understand what I'm going to do. He went home and built a temporary run in shed for their mare that is about to drop a foal. he absolute loved the idea and it only took him a few hours to get her a shelter up!

 

[kristofandmama]

It looks really great. How long is that run? It looks very big, are you planning on expanding your flock?

 

[PapaChaz]

It looks really great. How long is that run? It looks very big, are you planning on expanding your flock?

not sure if you're asking me or blooie, LOL


my run will be 5 cattle panels side by side. They're 52" wide, so that works out to be 21' 8" long. right now I have 14 chicks, not sure what I'll wind up with. depends on how many of these straight run chicks turn out to be him instead of her, LOL. realistically I'd like to stay right about this number, so if I wind up getting rid of a couple of roos, I'll pick up a few more girls. I'd like to have a couple of Maran's for the dark chocolate colored eggs

 

[aart]

first, measure off where I want it. Shoot some screws through the corners like this:


then wrap a chalk line around any of the screws, pull it tight and go to another corner, repeat until you have a square, then pop the lines:

That is a pretty slick idea!...if you don't have a ruler or straight edge handier than a chalk line.

But

I fear your pop door may have been placed too low...they'll be kicking bedding out into the run, but maybe that's not an issue for ya.
Most advise to put the bottom of the pop door at least 6-8" off the coop floor.

 

[PapaChaz]

That is a pretty slick idea!...if you don't have a ruler or straight edge handier than a chalk line.

But

I fear your pop door may have been placed too low...they'll be kicking bedding out into the run, but maybe that's not an issue for ya.
Most advise to put the bottom of the pop door at least 6-8" off the coop floor.

Thanks for pointing that out, it's above the base plate 2x4, and they are under where the roost is going to be along that wall. There will be a poop board under the roost. I suppose it depends on how deep I put the shavings in there. As for the run, I have a low spot right there where I built the coop that I am going to build up over time with wood chips, so a few shavings kicked out won't be much of an issue.

But if it turns out to be, I made the actual 'door' that's going to slide (on the inside) almost double the height of the hole, so if I need to block it at the bottom and cut the hole a little taller it won't be a problem.

 

[Blooie]

It looks really great. How long is that run? It looks very big, are you planning on expanding your flock?

And just in case you were asking me, then mine is 12 feet long - three cattle panels that were 4' high. We are going to add another panel this summer to make it 16 feet. As for expanding my flock, that's always on the drawing board! Right now I have 11 adults, but some of those will not be with us much longer. Two of the EEs (Mathilda and Daphne) and the Buff Orpington (Kat) will be gpne, and the jury is still out on Dora, one of the Red Sex Links. In the wings, so to speak, are the 15 Littles. Those are 5 EEs, 3 Red Sex Links, 3 Buff Brahmas, and 4 Light Brahmas.

 

[aart]

Quote: Good to plan for future 'adjustability' !

 

[PapaChaz]

And just in case you were asking me, then mine is 12 feet long - three cattle panels that were 4' high. We are going to add another panel this summer to make it 16 feet. As for expanding my flock, that's always on the drawing board! Right now I have 11 adults, but some of those will not be with us much longer. Two of the EEs (Mathilda and Daphne) and the Buff Orpington (Kat) will be gpne, and the jury is still out on Dora, one of the Red Sex Links. In the wings, so to speak, are the 15 Littles. Those are 5 EEs, 3 Red Sex Links, 3 Buff Brahmas, and 4 Light Brahmas.

anyone who has to ask "are you planning to expand your flock" has obviously never been struck down in the heat of the moment by chicken math

 

[Blooie]

anyone who has to ask "are you planning to expand your flock" has obviously never been struck down in the heat of the moment by chicken math

You scoff, kind sir, but there are those wiser and more practical than us who can actually resist!! Um, I however, don't appear to one of them!