# The girls spent their first night in "Rainbow's Roost" last night



## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

We had planned to finish the previous weekend but lost time as a dear friend passed away and had to go to the funeral. Hubby worked all weekend, and while it still isn't really complete (hubby is going to put on the baffles, and I need to paint a few things) we focused on getting the coop part complete and hen ready. He is going to add more ventilation and fine tune a few things but yay they have a home!  We finally were able to put them in about 10:30 last night. I have been careful to acclimate them to the cold when they were in the garage by opening the door every morning and I think they did very well last night. Only 3 are brave enough to come outside yet. Here are a couple of pics or 3, please excuse the mess, we didn't stay outside to clean after putting them to bed  Bless his heart this was our coldest weekend yet, it was in the mid 30's when we finished!


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Your coop really looks great. The flowers painted on the front look nice also. I can tell yall spent alot of thought,time, effort and $$$ into your coop. (I know how much hardware cloth costs.)
I dont know what your weather is like where you live, but if you get thunderstorms you might consider installing tarps under the roof. Cheap tarps can be rolled up during fair weather and easily dropped down for inclement weather. They prevent "sideways" rain from flooding your pen and can act as windbreaks as well. I use bungee cords to hold them in place when rolled up and/or lowered. Just an idea for you.


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## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

dawg53 said:


> Your coop really looks great. The flowers painted on the front look nice also. I can tell yall spent alot of thought,time, effort and $$$ into your coop. (I know how much hardware cloth costs.)
> I dont know what your weather is like where you live, but if you get thunderstorms you might consider installing tarps under the roof. Cheap tarps can be rolled up during fair weather and easily dropped down for inclement weather. They prevent "sideways" rain from flooding your pen and can act as windbreaks as well. I use bungee cords to hold them in place when rolled up and/or lowered. Just an idea for you.


Thanks for the idea! I have been thinking about windbreaks, That seems like a great, easy, idea! We didn't want to skimp on the hardware cloth because we have such a high population of red and grey foxes and coyotes, not to mention ***** and possums. did not want to risk anything getting in.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Here's a few pics for you just to give you an idea how I rigged mine. They dont look good as far as looks go, but I can assure you they work perfectly. If you havnt done so, you might want to consider laying an apron on the ground all the way around the base of your pen. I use field fence and chicken wire. Mine extends out from the base of the pen about 15 inches all the way around the pen. I used fencing nails hammered into the landscaping posts. You can wire it in to the base of your hardware cloth if you wish. This will prevent predators from digging under to get into the pen. The field fence is strong enough to stop dogs, coyotes, cats, *****. Grass will eventually grow through the apron and will be unseen. Predators do not have the ability of reason to dig further outside the apron 
to get into the pen. They will try to dig as close to the pen as possible and will be stopped by the apron.


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## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

Love the tarp idea, we actually built the coop on our concrete driveway, no way anything can dig in so no apron needed. I am going to surround it with cinderblocks, we had wanted to put it in the yard, but our lot is so rocky that Hubby had a hard time digging down to get it level. This was a better option for us. I had thought about taking lattice panelling and attaching plastic for windbreaks, but your idea will be faster to put up, and easier to store when not in use


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## zamora (May 26, 2015)

LOVE it! Congratulations on getting it to the point where your ladies can live in it, I know how happy that makes all of you!


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## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

Huge weight off of hubby's shoulders for sure!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

8hensalaying said:


> Huge weight off of hubby's shoulders for sure!


Sure, for the moment until you come up with another idea. Remember, that is always part of keeping chickens, new ideas.

Dawg's comment about the tarps is so spot on. I use them and have for years. I also used the heavy duty plastic that allowed light in to the pens during the blustery winter days. Those take a lot more work though.

BTW, dawg, your tarps look so much neater than mine. They just get piled up on top of the pen with a bungie holding them up there.


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## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

robin416 said:


> Sure, for the moment until you come up with another idea. Remember, that is always part of keeping chickens, new ideas.
> 
> Dawg's comment about the tarps is so spot on. I use them and have for years. I also used the heavy duty plastic that allowed light in to the pens during the blustery winter days. Those take a lot more work though.
> 
> BTW, dawg, your tarps look so much neater than mine. They just get piled up on top of the pen with a bungie holding them up there.


It's very windy today, so I will have to rig up something for them. right now I just have stuff piled around, plywood and our trash cans etc. thinking of getting some clear shower curtain liners and zip tying thru the grommets for a temporary fix.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If you do the shower curtains you'll have in install grommets all the way around and if it gets windy and blustery it will rip the grommets out. Ask me how I know that.

This is where using battens really helps in keeping the plastic secure during the winter months. If I installed that over whatever plastic I used then it help the entire winter season.


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## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

robin416 said:


> If you do the shower curtains you'll have in install grommets all the way around and if it gets windy and blustery it will rip the grommets out. Ask me how I know that.
> 
> This is where using battens really helps in keeping the plastic secure during the winter months. If I installed that over whatever plastic I used then it help the entire winter season.


Yeah, I did think about that after I posted, Gonna run to the hardware store for some tarps in a bit, We are fortunate, I should only have to do 2 sides, Our house blocks the wind somewhat on one side, and the trees in the back block there, so the front and the left side should give them a nice break.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Get the cheapest tarps you can find for the sides, they are easy to tie off however you see fit. I buy the cheapest tarps for the sides and use the more expensive heavy duty tarps for the roof. You really dont need tarps for your roof.


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## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

dawg53 said:


> Get the cheapest tarps you can find for the sides, they are easy to tie off however you see fit. I buy the cheapest tarps for the sides and use the more expensive heavy duty tarps for the roof. You really dont need tarps for your roof.


Was on my way to the hardware store for tarps and got a call from the school, Kiddo sick with a 101 fever  picked her up ran to the hardware store and grocery store for popsicles, jello and gingerale. got home got her settled with a movie, and went out to winterize, just in time for the wind to stop blowing lol. I got 2 tarps and zip tied them to the hardware cloth, held the bottoms in place with the boards I used this am. Not pretty, but much more comfortable for the girls. This week is supposed to be cold all week, so they are set


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The wind always seemed to be against me when I started winterizing. Trying to hold all that material and get it secured would have been funny for someone else standing by watching.

Hope the DD gets to feeling well quickly and doesn't end up needing to see the doc.


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## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

robin416 said:


> Hope the DD gets to feeling well quickly and doesn't end up needing to see the doc.


Me too, She's got a sore throat and achy with chills, Hoping it is just a bad cold. School requires fever free for 24 hours, so she is out for the week, plenty of time to rest up and get well, and no homework because of the holiday. She's watched inside out twice now, and is currently playing minecraft, so I guess she will survive


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

robin416 said:


> The wind always seemed to be against me when I started winterizing. Trying to hold all that material and get it secured would have been funny for someone else standing by watching.
> 
> Hope the DD gets to feeling well quickly and doesn't end up needing to see the doc.


For us it's not the cold or wind so much, it's the frog choking rains we get. The real challenge is our local weathermen. They're so bad that they cant even predict yesterdays weather.  And these guys supposedly have college degrees???


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The wind issue was when we lived in TN. We were the highest elevation in the area and the wind would go in one direction or another at a whim.

I get the weather complaint and that includes the weather people. I couldn't believe how bad they are here. I'm slowly getting so I can read the weather signs and know when they are full of crap.

I did find that unless the wind is driven by 50 mph winds shade cloth works great instead of dropping the tarps. That way the birds continue to get air flow even when it's raining a ton.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

This is what we did today for a wind and rain/ break. It's a quick fix that we put around our grow out pen. Still needs a couple of small areas to cover. This will give the girls a larger, drier, and wind free place to scratch around in when our wet winter sets in for good. Our grow out pen faces NE.


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## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

I'll get pics of what I did tomorrow, tonight's challenge is catching them and putting them back in the coop. Silly girls won't go in. Where we live we are banked on 3 sides by woods, we are also at a high point so all the wind funnels straight into the front of our house, also the front of the coop.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I like that, Nanny. I used to use empty feed bags and thumb tacks to help keep the small coops enclosed. Now, I don't really bother unless I know it will be really really cold. But truth is wind is probably worse.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

We're supposed to get around 5 inches of rain by week's end so we were trying to make them a better/bigger place to go besides their little coop. Jim is going to put the plastic up on top of the open area to keep the rain out. The coop will block the rest of it and allow for ventilation. 
I filled it with several inches of dried leaves for them to scratch in.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

8hensalaying said:


> I'll get pics of what I did tomorrow, tonight's challenge is catching them and putting them back in the coop. Silly girls won't go in. Where we live we are banked on 3 sides by woods, we are also at a high point so all the wind funnels straight into the front of our house, also the front of the coop.


That's one thing I never liked doing, putting the newbies in their house for the night. Sometimes I've had a group of birds catch on quickly and learned to do it on their own in a couple of days and other groups up to a week.  Slow learners I guess. I never had problems with them hopping up on the roost for the night though.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

nannypattyrn said:


> We're supposed to get around 5 inches of rain by week's end so we were trying to make them a better/bigger place to go besides their little coop. Jim is going to put the plastic up on top of the open area to keep the rain out. The coop will block the rest of it and allow for ventilation.


Hopefully the plastic wont sag with the weight of the water. I've had it happen with tarps and had to add extra 2x4's as braces.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I hope not, too. We'll see. Jim used some old trim as battens and we tried to put the plastic under the tarp edges so it would funnel the rain outside of the plastic. I imagine that it's not too level so maybe it will run off instead of pool.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I've had that pooling issue too. It took a couple of years but it appears I've finally fine tuned it enough that isn't much of problem.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I think Jim is going to check tomorrow to see what he can do to get the tarp on top a little bit higher in the middle so the water will run off.


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## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

Here is my temporary winterization, I have been pulling the trash cans to close in the door a bit and cut wind down by the food. the girls aren't too crazy about the ladder style ramp hubby made, They tend to fly out (albeit reluctantly) I think they would do better with a solid ramp and smaller treads. He thought the larger blocks for ladders would be easier for them. I figure if they get hungry enough they will fly out again. I need to find a tactful way to suggest a different ramp. They won't even step down to the first rung.


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## zamora (May 26, 2015)

We have been pretty lucky in the weather dept so far, it was cold and windy the other day but the new lean-to we built for the feed and bedding to go in partially blocks the coop from the wind. DH and I are both looking forward to a 4 day weekend so we will begin the actual 'winterizing' of the coop this weekend! I'm excited to be back out doing something even if it's just handing him tools and holding boards in place.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

8hens; the tarps look great and will protect your birds from the harsh weather/winds. Consider a ramp like mine, easy to put together for the birds to go in and out of the coop. Here's a pic of the ramp in the BR's pen, and one in the Black Star pen.


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## 8hensalaying (Jun 5, 2015)

That is exactly what I wanted. DH had other ideas lol. He's going to make another one tomorrow. Katie helped me with the Chickie round up tonight got them all tucked in even caught one all by herself! lol


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I had 2 PIA tarps. They sagged with rain and leaves. Got to the point where I was making holes where the weight collected and ended up with holes all over. This time is different. One sits on top of that horse fence grating, so there's no way to sag. The other I tied up underneath so that the back was lower than the front, and the tarp was left to be looser down the center so the rain is funneled down the center and back.


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