Chickens get a screened porch for summer

[Jayne]

Just spent a few weekends adding on to the coop. The wife thought the chickens were kinda bored so I added in a screened porch for them for the summer. It's got the same wire setup (so 18" of hard cloth buried around the perimeter, anti-noodling wire, 2x4 welded wire everywhere) but this section has a wire roof too. That way leaves and stuff can fall in and we won't keep it 'clean' with a gravel floor so bugs and whatnot can be had after scratching around.

So far they've spent most of yesterday scratching around in there as soon as I opened the access door from the main run.

The broom heads on the outside of that post are for the goats to scratch on.

 

[NCLivingBrit]

That's awesome mate.

 

[Jayne]

Also, it's hard to get good help these days. My sub that was supposed to do all the wire work showed up late every day, covered in hay, without tools, and then didn't do anything but stand in the way and chew stuff. Useless.

 

[DangerRuss]

The broom heads on the outside of that post are for the goats to scratch on.

Are they just regular push broom heads? Do you have a cheap source for them? I bet our three goats would like me to install some of those.

 

[Johnny]

Nice work man!

 

[Jayne]

Are they just regular push broom heads? Do you have a cheap source for them? I bet our three goats would like me to install some of those.

They are just broom heads. The wife got them at ag supply when she was picking up the wire. No idea if they're a good deal or not there, sometime she over spends on the 'kids'.

 

[fieldgrade]

For those of us who have followed this Bob Vila inspired poultry domicile from the beginning, I'm not seeing a hot tub.
I mean, where is it?
It will make them so MUCH easier to pluck.

 

[GoWolfpack]

They are just broom heads. The wife got them at ag supply when she was picking up the wire. No idea if they're a good deal or not there, sometime she over spends on the 'kids'.

I can't imagine they would be more than a couple dollars at ag supply. Everything is cheap there

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk

 

[bigfelipe]

What's anti-noodling wire?

 

[Jayne]

For those of us who have followed this Bob Vila inspired poultry domicile from the beginning, I'm not seeing a hot tub.
I mean, where is it?
It will make them so MUCH easier to pluck.

saying stuff like this is how you get on the wife's bad side!

 

[fieldgrade]

saying stuff like this is how you get on the wife's bad side!

I am a master at this skill.
Just ask mine.

 

[Jayne]

What's anti-noodling wire?

Apparently raccoons will come up to the enclosure and wiggle their fingers inside (that's the noodling). The birds come over, the raccoon grabs them and kills them, but then can't actually eat them because they're still inside the wire. Chicken is still dead. I didn't know this the first time around so I had to add 1/4" grid wire inside the 2x4 welded stuff. If they can't get their hand in, they can't noodle.

 

[bigfelipe]

Apparently raccoons will come up to the enclosure and wiggle their fingers inside (that's the noodling). The birds come over, the raccoon grabs them and kills them, but then can't actually eat them because they're still inside the wire. Chicken is still dead. I didn't know this the first time around so I had to add 1/4" grid wire inside the 2x4 welded stuff. If they can't get their hand in, they can't noodle.

That's pretty crazy. Never heard of it. Good to know. .

 

[Gray]

I'm taking notes. Looking good!