tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post1497192478352595818..comments2024-03-26T10:01:18.135-04:00Comments on Living the Frugal Life: Hoop House is Coming TogetherKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-77746654947322517872011-10-24T16:07:42.425-04:002011-10-24T16:07:42.425-04:00Scratch that (no pun intended): Instead of a raise...Scratch that (no pun intended): Instead of a raised grating, a set of wooden planks. As chickens' access is changed up, the planks can be flipped over, giving crawly things a chance to clean off the droppings that had accumulated on top.Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16755460714090772432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-79060566204047597762011-10-24T00:52:02.967-04:002011-10-24T00:52:02.967-04:00I meant mostly worms and woodlice: creatures that ...I meant mostly worms and woodlice: creatures that chickens would like to eat, and that could subsist on deep litter.<br /><br />One way to close off the space would be to put in a raised grating. All that you would need would be to keep them from scratching for the span of one or two insect generations.Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16755460714090772432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-31697066585491225342011-10-22T08:34:56.555-04:002011-10-22T08:34:56.555-04:00Thanks, Ali. We bought Johnny's hoop benders ...Thanks, Ali. We bought Johnny's hoop benders and bent fence posts that we bought at the hardware store. The benders were expensive, and I tried to get a couple of local organizations to buy them and then loan them out, but no go there so we coughed up for them. We've arranged the hen housing such that the garden netting is pretty well secured and at least 5" away from the sheeting that covers the whole hoop house. So I think we're good there, but thanks for the warning. Will try to keep up with the updates on the hoop house.<br /><br />Joel, I wonder about that. In the two years we had the hens on deep litter bedding in the shed, I never noticed any heating and in fact the surface of the litter froze over on more than one occasion. On the other hand, the bedding was raised up off the ground on a wood floor inside the shed. Maybe this year, in contact with the ground and slightly warmer temperatures I won't see that happen, and will in fact see some heat generation. As for detritovores, the whole of the litter is fairly bioactive with all sorts of microbes once it gets going. If you had something else in mind, please enlighten me. Though I don't feel half the space of the bed at a time would be sufficient for four hens. We may tweak the design next year though, based on how well it works for both us and the hens this year.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-39115296854002721102011-10-20T13:48:32.354-04:002011-10-20T13:48:32.354-04:00The deep bedding is going to produce a respectable...The deep bedding is going to produce a respectable amount of heat, as well.<br /><br />Have you considered rotating them between two halves of that enclosure, to allow detritovores to populate the litter? That might save some on food. Or you might have a portion of the enclosure equipped with roosts, feeders, etc. and two plots of empty space that you allow intermittent access to.Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16755460714090772432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-4427442637968678132011-10-19T15:13:55.508-04:002011-10-19T15:13:55.508-04:00It is looking good, Kate!! Did you purchase hoops...It is looking good, Kate!! Did you purchase hoops from a supplier, or did you find some tubing to bend?<br /><br />I second El's concerns, and will also note that our hens have damaged the cheapo-plastic we use on their snow dome just about every year. If you are going to use greenhouse plastic, you might want to keep them away from the walls -- the hens go for the any condensation on the inside walls.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to seeing how this unfolds, and will be paying a lot of attention to the difference a zone makes in your ability to overwinter things. I have not had luck with lettuce, but spinach, kale, etc do well for me...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-13125052504941362922011-10-18T07:40:08.165-04:002011-10-18T07:40:08.165-04:00Farmlifelessons, that's the hope, certainly.
...Farmlifelessons, that's the hope, certainly.<br /><br />Heather, you could start, as we did, with a couple of cold frames planted very intensively. It's sort of like practice sessions and proof of concept to use cold frames over a couple of winters. An unheated hoop house is absolutely feasible in Maine. Just look for the book, The Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman for proof.<br /><br />El, I appreciate the concerns and cautions. Let's just say we've addressed the groundhog issue, are taking steps to deal with burrowing rodents, and have had excellent luck with the deer populations so far. I know that could change, and dealing with the gap in the fencing visible in the picture I posted is on the list for next year. As for raccoons, I know they're around, but they've had ample opportunity to pick off both hens and broilers in minimal security housing over the summer and have not done so. And don't they hibernate over winter? Still, I am heeding your warnings and will give some further thought to the protection of the hoop house, which I consider more precious than four aging and replaceable hens.<br /><br />teekaroo, yes, I can imagine pvc hoops wouldn't stand up too well to wind or snow. These hoops are made from aluminum fence posts, and spaced fairly closely. Let's hope these stand up to whatever winter dishes out.<br /><br />Girlrural, thanks. I'm sure I will have a few posts on the hoop house over the next few months.<br /><br />Tamar, I decided to try out the old chestnut - poultry and plants in the same space. You know...the symbiotic respiration thing, and marginal heating courtesy of the animals. I am concerned about the ventilation as well. We plan to install some of the automatic venting windows, so we'll see how that goes. If that doesn't work we could probably crack the door open a bit during the day and as you say, leave the low hoop covers over the beds to keep the plants warm. Obviously this is all theory right now and we'll see what the reality is over this winter.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-86955184313716050282011-10-18T07:11:28.007-04:002011-10-18T07:11:28.007-04:00Keeping chickens in the hoop house! Veeeerrrrrry ...Keeping chickens in the hoop house! Veeeerrrrrry interesting.<br /><br />Is it well-ventilated? Our winter quarters (which are the same as our summer quarters) turned out to be insufficiently drafty. We ended up with frostbitten combs, and were afraid they weren't getting enough fresh air (although I'm not sure what the consequence of that would have been). <br /><br />We seal our hoophouse up pretty tight in the winter, and having to ventilate for chickens would necessarily lose heat and moisture. But it looks like your other raised bed will have their own covers, so it may work pretty well.<br /><br />Ingenious!Tamar@StarvingofftheLandhttp://www.starvingofftheland.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-83993122133829456112011-10-17T21:59:22.471-04:002011-10-17T21:59:22.471-04:00Lots of good things happening in your garden. I lo...Lots of good things happening in your garden. I love the hoop houses I've seen. Can't wait to hear how it goes for you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-91808511153730990912011-10-17T18:21:24.287-04:002011-10-17T18:21:24.287-04:00That's exciting! I had a hoop house once, but...That's exciting! I had a hoop house once, but I learned that pvc pipe can't stand up to the wind and heavy snows that we got. I'll be doing something similar to yours someday.teekaroohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17600855230034505108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-31244651326542300332011-10-17T16:59:39.419-04:002011-10-17T16:59:39.419-04:00FWIW I never got the plastic up on either greenhou...FWIW I never got the plastic up on either greenhouse until the snow first flew. They still worked.<br /><br />That said, Ms Kate, I am a bit worried about your chickens and by extension your greenhouse itself. Considering the groundhog has already made a raid, it could mean chicken-eating creatures can too. On my own non-chicken-containing greenhouses, I have chicken wire below the roll-up sides (plastic netting just doesn't cut it after a couple of years) to keep the damned birds out. And on my mom's greenhouse (10'x12') I put chicken wire there AND each end wall...she has deer problems, see, and deer sometimes don't see...walking right through things, like plastic walls.<br /><br />Just worried about their defense is all. Plastic walls won't deter a raccoon or possum.elhttp://fastgrowtheweeds.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-2561622045985316722011-10-17T16:04:30.585-04:002011-10-17T16:04:30.585-04:00wow! i wish we had a hoop house...or something to...wow! i wish we had a hoop house...or something to grow at least greens in the winter...although I'm not sure it would end up working in Maine...but maybe!Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12261179479821073705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-68707082653967963872011-10-17T15:18:04.023-04:002011-10-17T15:18:04.023-04:00Very nice...looks like a lot of work, but it will ...Very nice...looks like a lot of work, but it will be worth it!www.FarmLifeLessons.blogspot.comhttp://www.farmlifelessons.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com