[MontyTom]

I am building an ark for general movement around the garden.  Can anyone advise me on a suitable height clearance for underneath the roosting area, i.e. the chickens can walk down a ramp and scratch around the whole underneath of the structure.  :?:  

Thanks

[John]

My sister's is about 18" above with a slatted ramp that pulls up at night.  Hope that helps.

[sorrel]

My chichen house is about 2 foot off of the ground.   The ramp is slatted and the chicks have no probs getting up and down.  Hope this helps

[MontyTom]

Yes, great advice.  Many thanks.  The diagram I am working from is missing dimensions and my common sense usually fails me.  Will use suggested dimensions.

[MontyTom]

ark/hen house builders; what do you use for your roofing material?  Is that Onduline much cop, or is wood and felt ok?  I notice they sell it t B&Q for a reasonable price, about £8 per sheet.

thanks

[muntjac]

roofing felt mate £7 a roll 1/2 inch tacks £4 a bag approx at focus diy .. why waste money on an expensive product when the cheaper alternative wil do the job for you  

[MontyTom]

been reading, karl.  books reckon red mites love to live in felt and onduline is much better to prevent them.  I am using wood and felt but wanted an expert opinion.

thanks for advice

[muntjac]

no matter what yua use they get in ,, its hygiene thing not a constructionn problem mate .. when you clean a house out weekly as i do .spray jeyes in the cracks etc with a fine sprayer .put vaseline on the birds legs upto the feather line .inspect the underside of wings for mites and treat accordingly

[Zak the Rabbit]

books will always tell you stuff like that.

the felts on the outside anyway. I used a plywood sheet covered with felt, and all the joins inside are sealed with caulk so theres no cracks for the mites to live in, but a good blitz when you clean it is probably more effective.

the big advantage of felt is that you will have some spare, so if the wind rips it off repairs are quick and easy, and for minor splits use bitumen paint to seal it. If you bitumen the roof before putting the felt on it will stick down and be unlikely to blow off.

[shaun]

to felt a roof thats open to the elements its got to be green mineral felt,the cheaper felt well thats for under your roof tiles. and the mineral felt looks and lasts 5 times as long or more as the under felt.but saying that its 5 times the price.

[muntjac]

the felts only as good as the guy who puts it on folks ..and yeh wot little legs says  and paint the stuff with bitumen when ya laying it on the joins

[shaun]

you can get a bitumen backed green mineral felt that you can heat up with a flame gun/blow torch to adhere to your timber roof,as your laying it put the flame on the underside of the felt and when it starts to bubble press it down gently.its about £40-£50 a roll and comes with a 15 year guarantee.
just call me the felt expert ohh by the way i'm still growing