The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Old_chapel_apple_juice on April 24, 2016, 05:48:20 pm
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Hello all
I opened the door of my custom built chicken coup this morning to find everyone's worst nightmare
7 dead ducks and 5 dead chickens with more missing
I built it with pallets and fence posts but have been thinking for some time that this is just asking for trouble from red mites so I'm going to upgrade the house anyway as a fox has now made this decision for me.
I was thinking of buying a strong plastic shed from Costco and just seeing if anyone else has done this and how they would rate it
Thank you
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Have a look at images online for inspiration of plastic sheds converted to coops, just make sure it has ventilation.
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Condensation would be a problem i think - there's a creosote substitute I think for wooden sheds
Been discussed before - http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=62963.msg520453#msg520453 (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=62963.msg520453#msg520453)
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My chicken coop is wooden. The size is roughly a 4ft cube with a removable roof and lino on the floor ( no expense spared).
I find it very easy to keep the red mites down with a blowtorch once every 4 weeks in the summer months.
I have made pallet coops and just kept them for 2 seasons - just burn the old one and make a new one.
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I have a fox proof run using dog run panels on concrete. It's easy to put a sheet of tin on top (drill holes in the tin and fasten with cable ties) and to rig up a coop area from gash wood and ply tied to the outside of the run. Two metal rods secured across the run at about 60cm high support a bit of ply for the roof. We've cancelled the House & Garden photo shoot, of course!