Sam Dodson

I bought some of this, but to use as a glory hole drain on new ponds. It does crack just sitting out in the elements over time. there were several fractured pieces in the pile when I went through it. It also has a thick rubber ring around it which may have to be replaced with a cob mortar for a RMH.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/mat/4234536989.html

Kristie Wheaton wrote:one more goofy pic

A few months back our fire department was called out to a young man working in a ditch on the side of the road. It collapsed up to his waist, and he was dead on arrival from the pressure. Standing in a ditch like that without the proper slope to the sides for the soil type is a really stupid idea.

Paul - 1/2 the equation is the projector brightness (the brighter the bulb typically the shorter the lifespan, but you can buy cheaper bulbs on the internet)

The other 1/2 of the equation is the screen. The cheapest solution for the best results is blackout cloth from the fabric store. It's a white vinyl material that will absorb/reflect 100% of the light. Stretch it over a wood fame, staple it tight, and hang it up. It helps to have the projector setup at the distance you plan to use to size the screen.

The more ambient light you can block out of the room the better your results will be. You can use Fresnel lights on the presenter that will not interfere as much with the screen.

Thanks Travis! I figured it would be okay. I'm curious, how many chickens fit in your (guessing) 6'x8' trailer?

I spent the day banging my head against the wall working out the relays, pulse timers, liner actuators, wiring, and so on. It's going to be fantastic when it's all done, but it's a major pain in the ass to get sorted out.

This forum software sucks. I just uploaded 3 pics and added descriptions. Because one was too long it dumped everything and I had to start over. . . tisk tisk. . .

Here's the full power panel description = Here's the power panel on the left side. The top plug/switch will turn on the inverter and give about 300W of AC power (enough to run a drill, water pump, radio, etc.)

Below that are the 12v switches to turn on everything form the fence to the lights (for winter egg production) to the 12v accessories below.

Under that are two 12v terminal posts and below that are two 12v car cigarette lighter plugs.

Another Update

An Update on the Coop

I thought about a skirt, but I don't want it getting caught on the ground and torn off when moving. I think a 4" gap here would be detrimental. We have skunks (dog still smells from last week), 6' chicken snakes (one in my freezer), and coyotes that dug under my neighbors turkey pen, took 2 turkeys and dug another tunnel out.The sandy soil makes it easy. Plus this coop will be up to 1/4 mile from the house in the bottom pastures. I thought about flaps that fold down to block the sides, but that seems like a PITA to manage. I'm thinking about a wedge shaped ramp to minimize tilting while still blocking the sides and back. That would at least minimize the tilting.

I'm considering using a photocell tided to a 12v linear actuator to open and close the door at dawn/dusk. That would offer the absolute best protection at night. Then I only need to make sure the coop is solid and the batteries hold.

I'm putting together a mobile chicken coop and I plan to post progress of the build here. I'm not in a hurry and have plenty of other projects, so progress may be slow for a while.

I have a question - Does anyone have experience with nesting boxes being at an angle? Say if 4 of them were in a row, and one end is tilted up about 30 deg? What if they were tilted slightly, say 15deg back to front? Will the hens object? I'm planning to tilt the trailer back so the end sits on the ground and I can create an effective barrier without having to block off under the trailer every time I move it. This would require tipping it back, thus the question about leaning nesting boxes.


Here's where I'm at so far.

I got the trailer squared away. My uncle built this to spray chemicals (boooo!) on the fields. It held 4 55gal drums, and then it was converted to hold 2 centered over the wheels.

I'm sorting out how to set everything up now. I'm going to pull 1/2 of the floor supports and put down some mesh screening so the poop will fall through. Any size/material recommendations for this? I plan to put a fold up ramp on the back, and attach poultry net to each back corner.

I'm thinking the nesting boxes will be on the front so I can tilt it back, setting the butt end of the trailer on the ground. That will give me a contained yard for the chickens. Otherwise I'll always have to do something to block predators from getting in from under the trailer at the corners of the net/trailer connection.

When finished it will be a mobile setup with solar power, a 15gal water tank w/ poultry nipples for clean water, LED lighting to increase laying in the winter, motion activated exterior predictor lights, and even an 110 outlet to run small pumps, tools or country music (apparently they like it).

I would love to hear any ideas or suggestions you may have.

Yep, the amount of survace water if rather small:

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/2010/gallery/global-water-volume.html



Above ground water is the smallest ball.