Chickens and a chook shed

[r3nov8or]

I'm sure I was provided with a small hex head to fix tophats to steel rafters. It was long ago. I'll try to find some spares for comparison

[Moondog55]

Just in case the weather was as bad as predicted I got up and put one little screw in each valley. It's a chook shed and even if it does leak a little it shouldn't effect the hens much. So far so good but the wind isn't really that strong here, only a few branches blown off trees and no trees down as yet

[ErrolFlynn]

It's a chook shed and even if it does leak a little it shouldn't effect the hens much.

That's not a real good attitude. For a day or so, fine. But you should fix it. Like anyone else, chooks can get sick. Keep them dry, snugly, and healthy.

[Moondog55]

Fair call. If there are leaks I'll silicone the screw holes.
Edit
The good news is that the roof didn't blow off and there were no leaks at all and

[Moondog55]

Anybody willing to guess on how long H3 plinth boards would last as flooring?

[droog]

Anybody willing to guess on how long H3 plinth boards would last as flooring?

The answer to that is dependant on the quality of the boards you get and use.
I have TP plinth boards at the bottom of a fence less than 10 years old, one board looks brand new, the one right next to it is just about gone due to a gum vein or a section of sapwood in the board.

Quality boards should give a good life.

[Moondog55]

I'll be lime washing all the boards so that should help a little bit. Is there a particular technique to using staples with chicken wire? I am having a lot of trouble getting the wire fencing up? although partly it's the arthritis in my hands I guess.
Taking a lot longer than it should; due partly to that physical handicap of old age and general decrepitude and partly because I didn't have a physical plan just a general idea of what I needed and now is seems to be massively overbuilt.
I bought 900mm chicken wire because I couldn't afford a full roll of 1200mm, but my next doors say that is a mistake as most chooks can get over a 900mm fence. I may have to double up if this is the case

[ErrolFlynn]

my next doors say that is a mistake as most chooks can get over a 900mm fence.

It might surprise you how well they can fly. No doubt some are better than others. Then there's the notion that your hungry neighbourly fox will have no trouble with that height.

Here's someone who thinks they can get to 8 to 10 feet.

[Moondog55]

Yep I'm going to be doubling up to 1800mm and doing a run of floppy wire at 45 degrees too. We do have foxes but so far my neighbors haven't lost any of their choox to the bloddy things.
Edit
27 hours later and after an old fashioned inch plus of rain still no leaks in the roof, but I will may to do some sort of guttering and a water butt

[Moondog55]

Almost finished and as we only got three birds not the dozen I was expecting they have plenty of roosting room. Went with 70mm on the flat.
I found a huge plastic dog kennel on the side of the road yesterday, I'm going to utilise that as a shelter for the dust bath I'll make up because we are expecting a lot of rain in the next few days.
Put together a breeder for Black SoldierFly Larvae using a design I found on the web and hoping that will help with the food bill.
So far it is 2 eggs a day, so I may have to start eating breakfast more often
Not pretty but it is strong

[Moondog55]

Follow up post. First set of chickens have gone next door to live with the rescue chickens there [ and have settled in well] while I bring up a dozen young birds I purchased last week-end. Also seem to be quite happy with the run but the bloody things have decided they don't like the coop and have taken to sleeping in a puppy pile in a corner of the run. So this morning I took an old large dog kennel and shoved some pine shavings into it and put the kennel into that corner