Independence Homestead

This weekend we made some updates to the hoophouse we built for the laying hens a couple months back.

The hoophouse

Overall the hoophouse has been doing great, but we found a few places we could make some one-time improvements that could cut down on the time we spent doing periodic maintenance.

The first thing we addressed was the PVC pipes we use as supports for the middle of the hoophouse.  When the wind buffets the hoophouse, the PVC pipes have moved enough that they occasionally fall out of the zipties we use to hold them in place.  To keep the pipes in place, we screwed screws partially in the pipes.  The screws stick out from the pipe enough so that the pipe cannot fit through the ziptie, so the pipe can’t fall out of place.

Attaching screws through the PVC

The second update we made addressed the roosts. We originally had branches for roosts.  This was convenient as we have branches around, but it wasn’t working.  Branches would break, or they’d fall at one end.

These branches just weren’t working out as roosts

I felt like I was constantly fixing the branch roosts.  We completely replaced the branches with a roost we made out of scrap 2x4s we had around.

First we built the sidepieces that would support the roosts.  We wanted the distance between the roosts to be about two feet so the birds would have plenty of room, and as luck would have it our scrap wood was exactly 2 feet long.

The side supports for the roost.

Once we had screwed the sidepieces together, we connected them with 7ft long 2x4s that were to function as the roosts.

The new roost

Then we carried the roost down to the hoophouse, removed the old branches, and installed the new roost.

The roost in place

It gives the birds 14 linear feet of roosting space, which is great! The first night most of the birds were using the new roost, but a few were on the ground instead.  I expect that after a few days they will get used to the change and all the birds will be using the new roost.