Marianne
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2011
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- rural Abilene, KS, 67410 USA
If you do a search for straw bale building, it might give you some ideas. I just looked at a few straw bale chicken coops, too. They usually coat the bales with earthen plaster. If it was me, I'd cover the whole structure with some kind of fencing. Okay, I get a little paranoid, so I'd probably do some fencing on the inside, too. That would keep the hens from trying to tear the bales apart.
One cool thing about straw bale building is that you could still do an angled structure and use the tin for a lean to type roof. Then you fill in the gaps with tied straw. If you do the search, you'll read the basics of building with bales to make it easier and safer. You could build a basic shelter this year, add to it or cover it with the plaster next year or as time permits. Earthen plaster is just mud (you got lots of that, huh), and a couple of additives (sometimes manure, even!), but you would need an overhang on your structure. I have seen some bale buildings that were covered with chicken wire and then a layer of concrete on the wire, but that might be a bit much for you.
I don't know about the goats eating it. I'd think they'd aim for something that is more 'food' instead of a dry agricultural waste product, but I don't have goats. I just remember the gal that used bales for shelters. She said that they would start to break down eventually and then she just hauled out some more bales.
Do you have a bunch of rocks around there? For pole supports, maybe you can take some scrap fencing and make big rings, 2 - 3' across and fill them with rocks? Put the pole in the center of the fence ring and then start filling with rocks, broken concrete, stuff like that. The pole won't shift then. The English used 3' rings to support fence posts for cattle years ago. I tried it with a 1' ring a long time ago. I was surprised at how sturdy it was, but you'd need something bigger around than that.
Ya, that tarp won't last long in the weather and wind. It's windy here, too. But it doesn't have to be really tall for the hens. Just putting it over some fencing that's hooked to the kennel panel (like a lean to) will give the hens some place for shade and an area that's not total mud when it rains.
One cool thing about straw bale building is that you could still do an angled structure and use the tin for a lean to type roof. Then you fill in the gaps with tied straw. If you do the search, you'll read the basics of building with bales to make it easier and safer. You could build a basic shelter this year, add to it or cover it with the plaster next year or as time permits. Earthen plaster is just mud (you got lots of that, huh), and a couple of additives (sometimes manure, even!), but you would need an overhang on your structure. I have seen some bale buildings that were covered with chicken wire and then a layer of concrete on the wire, but that might be a bit much for you.
I don't know about the goats eating it. I'd think they'd aim for something that is more 'food' instead of a dry agricultural waste product, but I don't have goats. I just remember the gal that used bales for shelters. She said that they would start to break down eventually and then she just hauled out some more bales.
Do you have a bunch of rocks around there? For pole supports, maybe you can take some scrap fencing and make big rings, 2 - 3' across and fill them with rocks? Put the pole in the center of the fence ring and then start filling with rocks, broken concrete, stuff like that. The pole won't shift then. The English used 3' rings to support fence posts for cattle years ago. I tried it with a 1' ring a long time ago. I was surprised at how sturdy it was, but you'd need something bigger around than that.
Ya, that tarp won't last long in the weather and wind. It's windy here, too. But it doesn't have to be really tall for the hens. Just putting it over some fencing that's hooked to the kennel panel (like a lean to) will give the hens some place for shade and an area that's not total mud when it rains.
