Advice wanted on Perches please :)

[its hilly]

BRAMBLE
Norty step for you I think
Tee hee

Hayley I use roofing lathe cos its cheap. Only thing was when i first put some up I did it in daytime, went back when it was dark to find a row of chooks on a very saggy bar. Forgot how much theyd all weigh.. Now I use shorter lengths.

[Bramble-Poultry]

sorry couldnt resist

yep, we have used roofing lathe, its only 19mm x 38mm so it wont take too much weight. However, its usually quite cheap (i pay around 50p per 6ft length, pressure treated) so you can afford to double up up the lathes to thicken them up.

If i remember rightly from my structural mechanics - the deeper the section the greater the resisitance to bending. Somthing to do with the "slenderness ratio" and other arcane calculations, but suffice to say that a 38mm deep lathe will bend under much greater weight than a 19mm one!

[its hilly]

Bramble I have enough problems with a wand and broomstick without arcane calculations too.
never thought of sticking two together hangs head in shame

[Eco-Chic]

Is Bramble talking quantum physics or double Dutch

Has made my head ache.

[Bramble-Poultry]

in between drinking sessions at the kings head tavern on the A4 in Reading, i actually attended college (occasionally) and one of the lessons was structural mechanics. See, was of some use after all!

another interesting point whilst discussing structural stuff, when drilling holes though the perches to fix them or hang them from things, you should always drill through the exact centre line as this is the "neutral axis". when under pressure from a bird or similar weight, the perch will bend. On th etop of the perch it will compress under the weight, on the underside it will stretch but in the middle it remains the same. Therefore if you drill in the lower section it is likely to induce a crack, whereas if you drill in the top it is likely to cramp (squeeze) the fixing causing stress fractures.

The same applies to laying pipes or cables in your floor/ceiling joists - never notch them as you will store up future trouble!

Currently i am applying my soil mechanics lessons to the garden as i think that my garden is made of bentonite clay ! - a non-newtonic substance that is rock hard until aggitated which then causes the clay to turn into a sloppy mess. Just like my garden - alls fine until you walk on it!

[Glutton4...]

Is Bramble talking quantum physics or double Dutch

Has made my head ache.

The latter, I think, EC!

Oh, and Cheers! BP I'll have another one too

The perches they currently have are old 8cm x 3cm fence rails, cut in 2 lengthways (my Dad has a bench circular-saw thingy), making them about 4cm x 3cm. He then cut off the 'corners' meaning the top 4cm side had rounded edges - does that make sense?

Most of them perch happily, but they do poo all over the perches - what does everyone else use - I suppose I could get out the chainsaw and butcher a couple more Leylandii! Mwaaahaaahaaa

[Eco-Chic]

All that flippin' money on yer edukashun Bramble

I just put in a branch and a broomstick, both a tad overlength, at an angle, and bashed and yanked 'em until they were jammed levelish so the chooks wouldn't slide off

I so was NOT going to waste valuable drinking time befuddling my head with equations, differentials and sums

[MaureenHall]

I don't do hard sums unless I HAVE to! I make do with whatever wood's lying around to make the perches. The big coop has 3 perches, 2 made from 1.5"x1.5" and the other is a piece of 1.5"x6" (with the narrow bit at the top so the girls can get a grip). As for the poo on them, it's a scraper job

[RichmondHens]

Sally, there is sooo much mileage in that last statement what with warm feet and kissing...... god i have a filthy mind sometimes. going off to lie down

It was written in all innocence ....... OK, well I had had a bit of cider .......... but yes you do have a filthy mind!!!!

[Bramble-Poultry]

ah - cider the root of all evils! ask my family - grew up in Zummerset i did!!! i am naturally drawn to cider / perry and the wurzels!

goes off to sink "brand new conbine harvester"...........................