Poultry · PO-039
Removable pasture-root grazing frame
Place a low screen over established suitable pasture so birds can reach protruding growth while their scratching does not directly expose the whole root area.
Editorial construction draft. Original digital diagrams; no physical build or load certification. Read dimensions, fit and use limits before making changes. US customary dimensions control; metric values are references.
Before marking and cutting
- Read every step and identify the installed orientation. Make the component off-site with birds excluded.
- Measure the actual receiving space, chosen commercial accessories and access route. Stop if the example does not fit; changing only one member can invalidate the assembly.
- Reject split, warped, moldy or chemically contaminated stock. Keep exposed mesh cut ends and all sharp fasteners inaccessible to birds.
- The drawing dimensions control; illustrations are not full-size templates. Allow a saw kerf between parts when laying out stock.
Use limits
- No person may stand or sit on this component. No tested load rating is claimed.
- A site-specific safe location and supervision are required; remove it if birds become trapped, peck damaged material, or cannot use their normal feed, water, shelter and escape routes.
Materials and cuts
| Part | Qty | Size to cut | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Long ground runner | 2 | 48 × 3 1/2 × 1 1/2 in 1219.2 × 88.9 × 38.1 mm | Untreated sound straight softwood. Square ends; remove splinters. |
| B Between-runner end | 2 | 21 × 3 1/2 × 1 1/2 in 533.4 × 88.9 × 38.1 mm | Untreated sound straight softwood. Square ends; remove splinters. |
| C Middle support | 1 | 21 × 1 1/2 × 1 1/2 in 533.4 × 38.1 × 38.1 mm | Untreated sound straight softwood. Square ends; remove splinters. |
| D Root-protection screen | 1 | 47 × 23 × 1/25 in 1193.8 × 584.2 × 1.02 mm | Welded galvanized 1/2 in hardware cloth, 19-gauge product. Capture all cut ends under wooden battens. Schematic thickness is not a supplier measurement. |
| E Long screen clamp | 2 | 48 × 1 1/2 × 3/4 in 1219.2 × 38.1 × 19.05 mm | Untreated sound straight softwood. Square ends; remove splinters. |
| F Between-clamp end | 2 | 21 × 1 1/2 × 3/4 in 533.4 × 38.1 × 19.05 mm | Untreated sound straight softwood. Square ends; remove splinters. |
Hardware and consumables
- 12 × #8 corrosion-resistant exterior wood screw 3 in (76.2 mm). Frame and middle support [N1]
- 24 × #8 corrosion-resistant exterior wood screw 1 3/4 in (44.45 mm). Perimeter clamps [N1]
- 3 × #8 corrosion-resistant exterior wood screw 1 in (25.4 mm). Mesh to C with wide washers [N1]
- 3 × Stainless wide washer, at least 3/4 in outside diameter. Retain mesh on C without pulling through an opening
- N1 applies to every entry marked [N1]: Use compatible coatings/metals and the maker's pilot-hole guidance; do not substitute drywall screws.
Tools
- Tape measure, square and pencil
- Saw appropriate to material and work supports
- Drill/driver, countersink and pilot bits selected for the screws
- Clamps, sanding block and eye/hearing protection; dust control appropriate to the material
Assembly
- Choose an established suitable nonhuman-food forage patch within an already protected run. This frame does not make unknown weeds edible or provide a balanced ration.
- Cut A 48 in and B 21 in long from actual 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in stock. Stand boards on their 1 1/2 in edges for a 48 × 24 in outside rectangle.
- Clamp B between A; compare diagonals. Fasten with two 3 in screws through each A/B corner, eight screws total.
- Cut C to 21 in from actual 1 1/2 in square stock. Place across the center, x = 23 1/4–24 3/4 in, with its top flush at z = 3 1/2 in.
- Attach C through A with two 3 in screws per end, four total. The middle support is part of the screen support, not a perch.
- Cut D 47 × 23 in from the specified 1/2 in 19-gauge hardware cloth. Center it over the 45 × 21 in open ground area, overlapping each frame edge by 1 in.
- Cut E 48 in and F 21 in long from 3/4 × 1 1/2 in stock. Clamp E along A, capturing wire ends completely.
- Fasten E with eight 1 3/4 in screws each, then F with four 1 3/4 in screws each. Also tie the mesh to C using three stainless screw-and-wide-washer retainers with buried points.
- Inspect the whole upper surface and cut perimeter with gloves. Replace broken welds and cover no wire point with temporary tape.
- Set the frame flat on ground with no hole or void beneath its perimeter. Do not prop it up, use it as a bridge or place a waterer on the mesh.
- Observe actual adult birds: stop if toes catch, birds press their heads into openings, or the frame rocks. Monitor the patch and move/remove the frame before it becomes wet, bare or heavily fouled.
- Lift out for cleaning and ground recovery. Never treat vegetation growing through a poultry frame as ready-to-eat produce for people.
Checks
- Outside 48 × 24 in, clear ground opening 45 × 21 in; C top level with frame.
- Mesh overlaps 1 in beyond every opening edge and is captured by all four battens.
- Flat ground placement and no sharp wire, rocking, trapped toe or route obstruction.
- No human load, complete-ration, edible-weed, predator-proof or permanent pasture-protection claim.
Cleaning and maintenance
- Inspect before each use for splits, loose joints, protruding points and trapped debris.
- Remove accumulated litter or manure promptly. When cleaning is needed, move birds away, remove debris first, wash and use only a suitable label-directed product if disinfection is indicated; let the item dry before return.
- Recheck the fit after seasonal wood movement. Replace cracked panels, rusted fasteners or frayed liners instead of concealing damage.
- Sand accessible edges to a small smooth radius. Use a removable washable contact liner where specified. Any optional coating must be suitable for the intended animal-equipment use and fully cured according to its label before installation. Porous wood is not represented as a disinfectable food-contact surface.
Primary context
These sources inform the context and do not endorse the original construction design.