New Breeder Pens

[kdms]

Jim, what are the dimensions of the base? You may have just solved a problem that's just cropped up for us. What are you planning on using for groundcover inside the pen?

And I just reread the first post and saw 4x8....nvm. :wink:

[Home Grown Poultry]

there ment to be moved... chicken tractor. I have about an acre of grass in front of the barn... muaahahahaha! your spinning my wheels Jim!

[JimW]

Yes kdms, these ones are only 4 ft x 8 ft, not very big, but I figure they will do for short term housing for small breeding groups and chick grow out.

I have lots of weedy areas in the section of our property that we are setting up out permenant birds coops and runs and raised bed gardens, so I will just leave the bottom of the runs natural (grass and weeds). As the chickens scratch up the vegetation I will add some straw and continue to add more straw as it becomes soiled. In the spring or if we do not have a lot of snow I will move the pens around letting the chickens work the ground. Eventually the areas that the chickens have worked up the ground and mixed in some straw and chicken I will frame in and add some more soil and compost to turn them into raised graden beds.

Al, metal roofing would be great, I figure that these pens will be short term use as I am sure once I build them and start to use them I will find ways to improve them, so I figure next summer I will probably build slightly bigger breeding pens that will be for long term use, so will look at metal roofing.

Ya I am loving the metal shelving panels I got.

JimW

[baronrenfrew]

Hey Jim any updates or photos on this?

[JimW]

QR_BBPOST Hey Jim any updates or photos on this?

I will post updates later today.

I only made two but worked quite well.

Over winter I have my ayam cemani group in one and my cream legbar group in the other. Worked fine just need to fix ventilation roosters got bit of frostbite.

I am working on Teo new versions for this year. A bigger 12 x 4 and one that has an attached 4x4 wooden coop.

I would also like to switch to metal conduit.

The rounded roof covered with clear poly stands up wrll to snow.

Photos coming.

[JimW]

Okay here is a couple photos of my 1 breeding pen taken today. Vapour barrier plastic, 2 layers thick, covers the 1"x1" mesh, it has held up no problem to this winter's freezing rain and snow. I just need better ventilation for next winter. I also blocked off the external nestbox and put one inside the pen to keep it warmer.

This year I want to make a couple that are 4' by 12', and maybe make the hoops out of metal not pvc, like this one.

I am also working on a 12 foot by 4 foot breeding pen with coop. I am building a 4'x4' mini coop that will sit on legs 2 feet off the ground, it will have an attached 8'x4' run, with additional run space under the coop,

The coop with have internal nestboxes, a skylight and 2 roosts with dropping trays underneath.

[tcamp]

Love the hoop house breeder pen ideas! I just might try a couple of those this summer, never thought of keeping birds in them through the winter though, I wonder if it would be good further north. On the odd sunny day it must have quite the greenhouse effect!
I built a mini 4x4 coop like you are talking about last spring. Started it with an 8x4 sheet of plywood base. I like the base because it makes it completely predator proof. When I put birds in there nothing can get in. I'm not sure how long the plywood will last though, seeing all the snow and rain that gets in the 'open run' part of it, but I guess if I seal it often enough it might last a few years

[JimW]

tcamp good looking little coop.

My hoop house is a bit warmer then outside, but has not gotten super warm, even on very sunny days.

Shingled my roof this evening, just have to trim the shingles and add flashing.

[tcamp]

A sunroof! Is that what I'm seeing? What a genius idea!! Pleas post pics of this when you are done...I am always on the hunt for new ideas...even though I really don't have room for much more here without it looking cluttered and hubby hates clutter unless it has engines attached :P

[JimW]

QR_BBPOST A sunroof! Is that what I'm seeing? What a genius idea!! Pleas post pics of this when you are done...I am always on the hunt for new ideas...even though I really don't have room for much more here without it looking cluttered and hubby hates clutter unless it has engines attached :P

Yep skylight. I found someone selling some old but never used plexiglass skylights so I bought about 10 of different sizes. The one in the photo is 4 feet by 3 feet.

Jim