The second part of the build is a bit more fiddly than the first. All the cladding, mesh and doors end up taking far longer than the frame.
I used tanalised shiplap boards for the cladding, but it did add a lot of cost for to the build. And the weld mesh looks great, but there are cheaper options for the wire (rabbit wire would probably be the cheapest).
.jpg)
The two pens will work well together in the next breeding season. I'm looking forward to raising lots of chicks in them!
I have an automatic door opener to fit on it in an upcoming video soon as well.
Looks great!
ReplyDeleteIt does look great Kev!
ReplyDeleteLack of geographic knowledge question: Is it sufficient for any predators you might have)? We have a number of small scale predators (fox, opossum, raccoon, even coyote - although getting into our backyard would be a trick) which makes things a bit challenging. Also, predatory fowl like hawks.
Chicken tractors are really useful for defeating airborne predators. I found that chicken wire only keeps chickens (mostly) IN and does nearly nothing to deter foxes and such.
ReplyDeleteWelded wire is my choice after losing too many chickens to a bad dog visit.
Digging under threats are an issue. Chicken Tractors are designed to be open bottomed for the scratching of the chicken. However, keeping an eye on them and like this design having a SECURE Hen House part for nighttime works well enough.
A pellet or a sling shot rock on the behind of a curious dog keeps the chickens happy.
My tractors are designed to fit over my raised bed gardens as they are AWESOME at clearing out leftover bits and bobs of the finished garden and eat the bug eggs and such very nicely.