Well, maybe everyday updates are a bit overkill or over-ambitious. I worked mostly on the skidding barn, building a shelter on top. Not much new about it but it does take a while. I looked at just buying a hoop house or greenhouse that would be the right size but it was all a lot more expensive and less sturdy than what I can do with wood. I can also get cheap wood from the sawmill near my house that is unplanned lumber. So rough and gives you splinters but a 1 x 6 is really 1″ thick x 6″ wide or sometimes thicker.
Anyhow I made walls and roof and a base that can be unscrewed from the skids if needed. Then I covered it in 6 mil silage tarp and some leftover greenhouse plastic. I didn’t go full greenhouse because I don’t want it to get too hot, but I did put some greenhouse plastic for lighting. Temperature control could be a big problem, but to keep it simple I think I will make an attached outdoor run so that if the coop is too hot they can just stay outside. I also only have one side clear so in the summer the clear wall can face north, and in the winter the clear wall can face south.
The next step is making a skirt or flap so that the space in between the skids is closed to animals and more importantly predators. I started making a strip of edpm rubber I had from an old pond liner. I will then put thin (1/4 inch diameter) fiberglass rods every foot alternating sides. That will make it hang down straight but also flex over obstacles without tearing (I hope). Then I’ll also add some vertical electric fence wires so animals sniffing around at the bottom will be shocked.
I realize now that I probably could have just made 4 skids in a square, but that would make it harder to skid (always crabbing) and it could be a problem on uneven ground that there would be a big gap. I’ll keep it in mind but the skirt should be cheaper.
Sun Aquasystems 