Hen House Timber Choice

[MikeG.]

......Perhaps MikeG could show us a photo of his plywood structure.....

Perhaps. But I'm sensing something of an antagonistic and confrontational tone in your posts in this thread, so I'll maybe not bother.

 

[thetyreman]

just for laughs, I'd love to see one made out of purpleheart

 

[AJB Temple]

The commercial guys just use very basic modern farm barn buildings as far as I can see. I have seem a number of people keep chickens in commercial pig stys, which are in essence just curved sheets of corrugated iron. Works fine.

 

[Daniel2]

Unlike some members I only reply to threads that I have knowledge of.
I thought that I had photos of our chicken accommodation in a domestic situation but I haven't and will take one in the morning.
Keeping chickens in a garden is not a small undertaking and makes no economic sense but is done for interest and for the amusement of the grandchildren when they visit.
Under the circumstances it is essential that the hens have a house and run that not only becomes a feature in the garden but also gives them a happy safe and healthy life.
Before you get involved do you want an ugly structure in your garden surrounded by an electric fence or do want a feature in ýour garden that gives you and the kids pleasure and a healthy place for the hens to live.
Perhaps MikeG could show us a photo of his plywood structure.
However if you decide to build your hen house with a ply roof covered in roofing felt you will run into a problem with red mite that you will not be able to control as they will live under the felt and you will have no way of controlling them and the hens will have a very unhappy life.
If anybody has any questions about back garden chicken keeping I woud be happy to help if I can.

An apology for your unprovoked attack wouldn't go amiss

 

[Suffolkboy]

I kept four wellsummer hens in a house I was given in the back garden of my first house.

That was made entirely of ply by a friend and it had a felted roof. I had them for four years until I moved to a house that wouldn't allow me to keep chickens.

I never had a problem with mites.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

This is the second chicken house we've had in the last 25 years. The first one was built by me out of elliotis shuttering ply, painted with olive green shed paint and felt on the roof. This second - somewhat grander one, with pneumatic tyres and a steel chassis, and built by my daughter - has a 4mm Malaysian ply roof with felt and an edpm trim.

The chicken wire cage in the picture is actually to stop the chickens hopping out (!) over the electric netting (which keeps foxy out) - once they've learned to do that they can be a bit of a pain!

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Never make a roof out of ply covered with roofing felt.

Standard cold roof construction detail plucked (geddit?! ) from the internet (note use of ply and bituminous felt):

 

[Woody2Shoes]

re roofing felt - the mites hide between the felt and whatever is supporting it making it impossible to spray.

Thanks for all the suggestions- hadn’t considered ply which seems a logical way to go.

I've not found this to be a problem - but then the felt is firmly attached to the ply with felt adhesive.

 

[Daniel2]

Standard cold roof construction detail plucked (geddit?! ) from the internet (note use of ply and bituminous felt):

View attachment 90536

That's for posh chickens, that is ...

ATB,
Daniel

 

[marcros]

I kept four wellsummer hens in a house I was given in the back garden of my first house.

That was made entirely of ply by a friend and it had a felted roof. I had them for four years until I moved to a house that wouldn't allow me to keep chickens.

I never had a problem with mites.

we had some welsummer hens when I was a child, prob 30 years back. They were always a favourite of mine because I loved the dark eggs. Unfortunately my dad had a preference for light sussex, Plymouth rocks and Rhode Island Reds so I dont recall us having many of them.

 

[harvestbarn]

We have taken to using plastic stock board for roofs it is quite heavy we normally screw two 4 x 2 along the long length. This stops it blowing off but can be lifted off for cleaning.
We also use electrified netting only had the fox in once when the horses took the fence down in 5 years

 

[sawdust1]

Don't make one, buy one of mine Sunnyfields Poultry Housing .
If you move the chickens to another house make sure you de louse them first, you may carry mites to the new house and it will start all over again, then burn the old house.
Stock board is ok but has no strength, and buckles in hot weather, did try it out once.
Felt over ply is ok if you use a full piece but no joins as this is where mites get between the ply and felt.
The trouble is most poultry house makers forget to add lots of ventilation, the house heats up, and the warm moist air is heaven for any mites.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Don't make one, buy one of mine Sunnyfields Poultry Housing .
If you move the chickens to another house make sure you de louse them first, you may carry mites to the new house and it will start all over again, then burn the old house.
Stock board is ok but has no strength, and buckles in hot weather, did try it out once.
Felt over ply is ok if you use a full piece but no joins as this is where mites get between the ply and felt.
The trouble is most poultry house makers forget to add lots of ventilation, the house heats up, and the warm moist air is heaven for any mites.

I think it's easy to get a bit over-exercised about mites. I think that one of the early 'how to' books mentioned mites hiding under roof felt (that for some reason wasn't glued on) and it's been a bugaboo ever since. Fair enough in a large commercial setup things would be different in many ways, but this is 'backyard poultry' as I understand it. As long as the chickens have a place to make their own 'dust bath', their accomodation is kept clean and periodically dusted with diatomaceous earth, they should be fine (and if not, then chemicals can be judiciously used).

Those (nice enough but not cheap) 'Sunnyfields' houses have loads of crevices between the T&G/lapped boards where mites could hide just as easily (in walls and roof) if they wanted to....

 

[AJB Temple]

Don't make one, buy one of mine Sunnyfields Poultry Housing .
If you move the chickens to another house make sure you de louse them first, you may carry mites to the new house and it will start all over again, then burn the old house.
Stock board is ok but has no strength, and buckles in hot weather, did try it out once.
Felt over ply is ok if you use a full piece but no joins as this is where mites get between the ply and felt.
The trouble is most poultry house makers forget to add lots of ventilation, the house heats up, and the warm moist air is heaven for any mites.

Is there a discount for members here?

 

[powertools]

Perhaps. But I'm sensing something of an antagonistic and confrontational tone in your posts in this thread, so I'll maybe not bother.

Trust me there nothing antagonistic and confrontational in my response just put on a photo of your plywood structure for the benefit of others it would not be for my benefit.

 

[powertools]

Photo of our chicken accommodation.

in

 

[Daniel2]

Keeping @Woody2Shoes company, I'll stick my head over the parapet and show you mine.
I made it 21 years ago out of recuperated pallets.
No plywood, I'm sorry to say, but that was only because I was too tight to buy any.
Recently replaced the door, and I think the perspex window could possibly be changed now,
as well. (Got my money's worth)
It had a felt roof, but it eventually started leaking.

Critique welcome, if made in a civil manner

Oops, forgot the photo's

 

[powertools]

Ok no

Standard cold roof construction detail plucked (geddit?! ) from the internet (note use of ply and bituminous felt):

View attachment 90536

Well thank you for the detailed information on building a felt over ply roof.
Are you suggesting that this is the best way to make a roof for a chicken house?

 

[MikeG.]

Trust me there nothing antagonistic and confrontational in my response..........

Nonsense:

I was under the impression that this thread was about chicken housing. You have both shown that you know nothing about it.

-

just put on a photo of your plywood structure......

I get to pick and choose what I post, where and when. I don't get instructed by you, and no, I'll not be posting any photos on your say so. But thanks so much for for your interest.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Ok no


Well thank you for the detailed information on building a felt over ply roof.
Are you suggesting that this is the best way to make a roof for a chicken house?

It's difficult to tell whether or not your tongue is in your cheek (in the absence of any smileys etc.), but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
I think you know perfectly well - if you've read what I (or just about anyone else) has/have written in this thread - that:
1) A plywood (or OSB) "deck" is a normal/conventional substrate for any bituminous felt roof;
2) Felt on plywood (or OSB) is cheap, simple and effective (and can be made to look perfectly presentable) for making a chicken house roof. I've also explained that, in my experience, it need not be any more of a mite hideout than any of the alternatives. I even took the trouble to show you a photo of mine.
It's really not clear what your point is/was.....