New Breeder Pens

[JimW]

Well I scrapped my plans on building a bunch of the 4 ft x 4 ft coops with the sunroofs, just too time consuming, so have decided to go back to something simpler, an updated hoop house. The first ones I am building a just 4 feet by 8 feet, but will be just over 6 feet tall so I can stand up in them. The sides are made with the galvanized metal shelves I have and 2x4 frame, I will also cover with 1\2" hardware cloth to keep small pests out as well.

JimW

[Ontario Chick]

Virtual palace, pretty snazzy.

[scottishpet]

JimW did you over winter anybody in this kind of coop?

[JimW]

JimW did you over winter anybody in this kind of coop?

Yep I have 3 of these types of "hoop house" coops with birds in them now, they live in them year round. I cover them with clear vapour barrier to keep out rain and snow. I am working on a slightly better 4 ft x 12 ft design to build this spring, I will have 4 or 5 of them to use with my chicken breeding groups.

[foal0069]

JimW, it looks like you have nothing protecting your bottoms, do you not have digging predator problems? Love the idea but overnight here they would become fox bait. I thought that they would take longer to dig underneath but boy was I wrong.

[JimW]

JimW, it looks like you have nothing protecting your bottoms, do you not have digging predator problems? Love the idea but overnight here they would become fox bait. I thought that they would take longer to dig underneath but boy was I wrong.

I have welded wire mess that surround the outside of the pens and extends 2 feet out from the base of the pen. Plus my newer ones I am attaching 1/2" x 1"2" hardware cloth to the entire inside bottom so mice cannot get in, my perimeter mesh has 1"x2" holes.

[foal0069]

Thanks Jim,
Just got a roll at a store that was closing

[Dunmohen]

Question Jim about your hoop pens - which I love - that is a great solution for me for the three seasons, I would bring the chickens into the barn coops in winter - is that untreated pine you are using for the base? Would pressure treated be an option? Or is that not a good mix with birds? I'm just wondering how long they would last in the elements. Thanks.

[JimW]

Question Jim about your hoop pens - which I love - that is a great solution for me for the three seasons, I would bring the chickens into the barn coops in winter - is that untreated pine you are using for the base? Would pressure treated be an option? Or is that not a good mix with birds? I'm just wondering how long they would last in the elements. Thanks.

Dunmohen,

The pen in the picture is actually the brown pressure treated lumber, it was wood leftover from another project so has just weathered.

Pressure treated wood is a lot less toxic than it use to be, I am sure some people are against using pressure treated wood with birds, I am not sure if any real issue, since they do not chew.

I do have one hoop pen that is 3 years old and its base sitting on the ground is untreated spruce and it has held up so far.

I am making more new ones this summer and not sure what wood I will use. I already have some 2x6 pressure treated so would really like to use that but we will see.

JimW

[Ontario Chick]

Pressure treated wood is a lot less toxic than it use to be, I am sure some people are against using pressure treated wood with birds, I am not sure if any real issue, since they do not chew.

JimW

I think it may be a problem if the chemical would leach out of the wood and in to the ground they scratch and peck at, but as you say Arsenic isn't used anymore and one would hope that the stuff actually stays in the wood since it's supposed to protect it?