I just came across your channel last week. I love all your efforts and accomplishments on your family farm. And I love the scriptures that you share to us all. As I watched your repairs on your chicken coops, I noticed the one chicken coop has plastic on the door but the other one does not. It might do well to cover that door as well so it has less wind and rain or snow😊 God bless you brother 🌄
I feel that trial and error! We live in town, but it's a rural college town in Southern Oregon. Our predator load is heavy (raccoons, skunks, opossum, coyotes, fox, and bear have all been in our yard and cougar in our neighborhood. ) I lost my first small flock to predator attacks and then took a break until we could afford to build the Ft Knox of chicken coops. We finally did it last year! I drew up the plan, and my Son built it. The coop and run are contained inside of my garden that is cattle panel fenced to 7 feet (because deer, so many deer...). The coop and run are basically a single entity that measures 8'x12'. It is built on a pressure treated 4x4 base with 1/2 inch hardware cloth underneath as well, but with plenty of soil on top of that for chickens to do chicken things. The frame is 2x4 completely enclosed in 1/2 inch hardware cloth. The coop portion is sheathed in 1/2 inch plywood. Everything is painted with good exterior paint. The part that might interest you at this point is the roof. I chose metal roofing, and we used screws and liquid nails to secure it to the 2x4 rafters. We pitched it so that the high point is Southern exposure, allowing sun in winter, but providing shade in summer. We don't get much snow, but we do get pretty high winds. So far, so good! Pictures can be found on my blog page on Facebook, Shawna's Garden, if you are interested in seeing it. I really enjoy watching your chicken journey! Chickens bring me so much joy ❤
I live in Michigan as well our automatic door opener we had issues also noticed we had ice build up, have to put a roof over the door (lean)..we changed batteries and noticed the door was opening then closings that's how we found ice was built up on the slide..
I'm glad to hear you're working on your chicken coop run. For the winter, I think I would attach some pallet boards across the roof so the plastic rooftop won't sag. And add more hay for comfort.
I'm right, along with you more snow coming tonight and tomorrow. The cold weather is snapping my desire to go outside. My backyard flock comes out of their coop. However, American Breese is not so much. The warm weather is coming here in the middle of Michigan ❤😊 I use tarps on the open areas of my coops. The top of both coops have sheet metal. Thankfully, I am able to salvage from an old sawmill. Your coops look good. Nine eggs two were frozen 😮 I wish the girls would lay all around the same time.
Snow load and wind are very tough on any roof. If I would make one suggestion it would be to use heavier lumber, more supports, and at least 2x4's for the roof. Maybe also add a rib or two down the middle crossing the other roof timbers and probably rotated so that the 2x4 is oriented with the "4" in the vertical and not horizontal. Otherwise I appreciated your candor about the issue, life is full of challenges, and weather extremes can be one of the greatest challenges.
Last year I just used plastic over the wire. Snow and draft not a problem. But melting snow and rain started dripping through. So replaced it this year. I have a pitched metal roof but did use one of the clear panel for light. So far so good. I took live in Michigan.
🌺your doing just fine, real life “acre of adventure” ya’all have a beautifully blessed Christmas with families and May the Lord continue his hand on you all in this hopeful new yr.
Even though I don’t have a farm, I learn so much from you. If I ever do decide to raise chickens, I’ll remember all you’ve taught us.
I just came across your channel last week. I love all your efforts and accomplishments on your family farm. And I love the scriptures that you share to us all. As I watched your repairs on your chicken coops, I noticed the one chicken coop has plastic on the door but the other one does not. It might do well to cover that door as well so it has less wind and rain or snow😊 God bless you brother 🌄
I feel that trial and error! We live in town, but it's a rural college town in Southern Oregon. Our predator load is heavy (raccoons, skunks, opossum, coyotes, fox, and bear have all been in our yard and cougar in our neighborhood. )
I lost my first small flock to predator attacks and then took a break until we could afford to build the Ft Knox of chicken coops.
We finally did it last year! I drew up the plan, and my Son built it. The coop and run are contained inside of my garden that is cattle panel fenced to 7 feet (because deer, so many deer...). The coop and run are basically a single entity that measures 8'x12'. It is built on a pressure treated 4x4 base with 1/2 inch hardware cloth underneath as well, but with plenty of soil on top of that for chickens to do chicken things. The frame is 2x4 completely enclosed in 1/2 inch hardware cloth. The coop portion is sheathed in 1/2 inch plywood. Everything is painted with good exterior paint.
The part that might interest you at this point is the roof. I chose metal roofing, and we used screws and liquid nails to secure it to the 2x4 rafters. We pitched it so that the high point is Southern exposure, allowing sun in winter, but providing shade in summer. We don't get much snow, but we do get pretty high winds. So far, so good!
Pictures can be found on my blog page on Facebook, Shawna's Garden, if you are interested in seeing it.
I really enjoy watching your chicken journey! Chickens bring me so much joy ❤
I live in Michigan as well our automatic door opener we had issues also noticed we had ice build up, have to put a roof over the door (lean)..we changed batteries and noticed the door was opening then closings that's how we found ice was built up on the slide..
I'm glad to hear you're working on your chicken coop run. For the winter, I think I would attach some pallet boards across the roof so the plastic rooftop won't sag. And add more hay for comfort.
If you screw planks over all seams on ur polycarbonate clear panels on the chicken roof & at surround edges its less likely blow off.
I'm right, along with you more snow coming tonight and tomorrow. The cold weather is snapping my desire to go outside. My backyard flock comes out of their coop. However, American Breese is not so much. The warm weather is coming here in the middle of Michigan ❤😊
I use tarps on the open areas of my coops. The top of both coops have sheet metal. Thankfully, I am able to salvage from an old sawmill. Your coops look good.
Nine eggs two were frozen 😮 I wish the girls would lay all around the same time.
Snow load and wind are very tough on any roof. If I would make one suggestion it would be to use heavier lumber, more supports, and at least 2x4's for the roof. Maybe also add a rib or two down the middle crossing the other roof timbers and probably rotated so that the 2x4 is oriented with the "4" in the vertical and not horizontal. Otherwise I appreciated your candor about the issue, life is full of challenges, and weather extremes can be one of the greatest challenges.
Last year I just used plastic over the wire. Snow and draft not a problem. But melting snow and rain started dripping through. So replaced it this year. I have a pitched metal roof but did use one of the clear panel for light. So far so good. I took live in Michigan.
🌺your doing just fine, real life “acre of adventure” ya’all have a beautifully blessed Christmas with families and May the Lord continue his hand on you all in this hopeful new yr.
What type of rooster do you have? I have one that looks like yours & no one knows what it is. Thank you
Merry Christmas and Happy New year to you and your family
The frozen chicken waterer’s not my cup of tea, I don’t know what’s worse winter or summer when there’s a bunch of bugs?
Plexiglass might be more stable than that corrugated plastic
any plans getting for beef and dairy?
If I was to redo the roof, I would make it steeper.
Let the haters hate. You just need to brush up on your carpentry skills and how to interlock/stabilize certain sections.
I thought those plastic rubber bowls weren’t good for water due to chemicals?
Roof rake