Red Heaven Chicken Spa & Resort

[Penpal]

Love the fold up feature!

 

[2ndTink]

Yes that is awesome!

 

[MT45]

Thanks everyone for the kind words.

I’m attaching some pics on how I created the folding legs
The wall side is simply 6” long lag screws that you can buy at Home Depot (not pictured). About 3” of the shaft is smooth. I just drilled through the 2x4 into the wall at each end, and scabbed a few 2x4 pieces to screw my lags into in the middle.

The leg side is a single 1/2” bolt in the center, the leg rotates around that bolt. Then I drilled another hole and used a 3 1/2” hitch pin I got at Tractor Supply. These pins lock the legs from folding once in place and are quickly removed when needed (allows the leg to fold) for coop cleaning.

Holding the entire roost bar assembly up for cleaning is simply an eye hook, a piece of paracord and a spring hook.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Ok Penpal, thanks for that advice, and today I remade the roost bars. Back row is 12” from back wall and there is 17” between each roost bar. I had to give up one row entirely, but each bar is 5 feet long, so I still have 20 linear feet of roosting space. The roost height (it’s 30”) is about a foot higher than my nesting boxes. I kept the folding “up and away” engineering that I had originally. These fold even flatter to the wall for easy cleaning.

View attachment 3866205

And now, folded away for cleaning …

View attachment 3866209

It looks great!!

 

[MT45]

Still wondering about food/water inside coop. At this moment we do NOT plan to have either food or water kept inside the coop. We will keep the auto door in place so birds will go in at night, door will close automatically and then open again at daylight so they can enter the run. Plan would be to have food/water in the run only. Does that work?

 

[2ndTink]

Still wondering about food/water inside coop. At this moment we do NOT plan to have either food or water kept inside the coop. We will keep the auto door in place so birds will go in at night, door will close automatically and then open again at daylight so they can enter the run. Plan would be to have food/water in the run only. Does that work?

View attachment 3867527

Yes, that is good. I prefer it that way if possible.

 

[aart]

Does that work?

Lots of folks do that.

I do not, both feed and water have been in the coop from day one for need(heated water in winter) and convenience(nice to do chicken chores under cover during inclement weather). But my coop is in a shed and both are pretty tight and I don't have many rodents around, just mice no rats.

 

[MT45]

Thanks @2ndTink and @aart - appreciate those responses

 

[rosemarythyme]

Re: food and water inside, there's no "right" answer. Do what works for your set up and change it up if needed.

For me, because we have 3 seasons of rain, I keep the dry feeder inside and the waterer and fermented feeders outside. My birds don't fight over water but food can be a cause for contention in the morning, so 4 small fermented food bowls scattered outside keeps everyone separated and moving around, and the dry feeder keeps them all fed throughout the rest of the day once the wet feed is gone.