Beginning coop construction...

[beautifulpirate]

The zoo trip would definitely be worth it. Ahh, I feel your pain. Ours are also pushing 7 weeks! I was really hoping they'd get in today, but at this point, it may be tomorrow. Idk. I'm feeling anxious. We dealt with a solid week or more of rain prior to this week. Thank God it has cleared up and is now beautiful. Maybe your forecast will change...

Your coop is adorable! I am kind of embarrassed to post pics of mine after seeing such as yours. Mine is ugly. lol It will be cute in time, but as of now, it's got a ways to go. I really want to use the same siding you used. The T1-11. But it is expensive!! So we opted for OSB for now. And are planning on covering it as our budget allows. And it looks like your husband really knows his way around carpentry. My bf is no master carpenter... lol But I know the chickies will be happy, regardless of what it looks like.

Haha, he really doesn't!!! My dad is a carpenter and he didn't have sons so I went with him to jobsites and learned a lot. I used to work with him in his shop growing up. When all the other 6th graders made solar cookers with pizza boxes and tin foil, I built a greenhouse style color cooker with hinged lids and a thermometer and other fancy features. And it wasn't just my dad building it for me. I had to design what I wanted and then he would showme how to make it and assist where power tools were necessary.

I designed the coop, drew it out to scale on graph paper, including the framing. I instructed him on how to do the things necessary to construct it. Fortunately, the husband is smart so he remembers things after doing them once. And he is full of ways to improvise in a pinch. And he really can come up with ways to save time that I wouldn't have thought of sometimes. I've got the book smarts but he is much better at putting it into play. We make a good team that way.

Hope the OSB works OK for you. Prime and paint the heck out of it. It's basically just sawdust and glue. If any moisture gets in it, it will deteriorate ten times faster than most other options. Its better used for interior projects where an outer shell made from some other material protects it from the elements.

Mine looks good but it hasn't been cheap so take some solace in that haha.

 

[TerryH]

The biggest issue with not finishing this week is we are supposed to get rained on for the next week, solid. Ugh. Which means we can't work on until the rain passes. Which means we might have seven week old babies by the time they can go into the coop...

Sometimes you just got to take time with the kids. You'll get it done. The chickens are going to love it!!!

 

[DreamsInPink]

Haha, he really doesn't!!! My dad is a carpenter and he didn't have sons so I went with him to jobsites and learned a lot. I used to work with him in his shop growing up. When all the other 6th graders made solar cookers with pizza boxes and tin foil, I built a greenhouse style color cooker with hinged lids and a thermometer and other fancy features. And it wasn't just my dad building it for me. I had to design what I wanted and then he would showme how to make it and assist where power tools were necessary.

I designed the coop, drew it out to scale on graph paper, including the framing. I instructed him on how to do the things necessary to construct it. Fortunately, the husband is smart so he remembers things after doing them once. And he is full of ways to improvise in a pinch. And he really can come up with ways to save time that I wouldn't have thought of sometimes. I've got the book smarts but he is much better at putting it into play. We make a good team that way.

Hope the OSB works OK for you. Prime and paint the heck out of it. It's basically just sawdust and glue. If any moisture gets in it, it will deteriorate ten times faster than most other options. Its better used for interior projects where an outer shell made from some other material protects it from the elements.

Mine looks good but it hasn't been cheap so take some solace in that haha.

Oh dear!! Well, go you!!! I wish I had all that wisdom. But even if I did, I doubt my bf would listen to me anyway. Yes, he's one of 'those'. lol

I am also hoping the OSB works out ok. As I said, it really isn't what I wanted to use, but unless we waited several months, for the budget to catch up, it just wasn't going to happen any other way. It is painted.. at least most of it. There are a couple places that need to be painted yet. And it's only got 2 coats so far. And I'm seriously considering just painting it even more and calling it done. But Idk. I REALLY like the look of the T1-11. Decisions, decisions.

Were you able to get yours finished up today? Ours isn't done. He did get the door hung and got the openings on one side covered in wire. We are also putting old tin skirting down on the floor.. due to the poor quality of the darn deck boards we used.. there are LOTS of gaps. Ugh. So yeah, it's gonna look kinda weird inside until we get the vinyl flooring down. LOL I so wish mine was cute and photo worthy. :/

 

[beautifulpirate]

Oh dear!! Well, go you!!! I wish I had all that wisdom. But even if I did, I doubt my bf would listen to me anyway. Yes, he's one of 'those'. lol

I am also hoping the OSB works out ok. As I said, it really isn't what I wanted to use, but unless we waited several months, for the budget to catch up, it just wasn't going to happen any other way. It is painted.. at least most of it. There are a couple places that need to be painted yet. And it's only got 2 coats so far. And I'm seriously considering just painting it even more and calling it done. But Idk. I REALLY like the look of the T1-11. Decisions, decisions.

Were you able to get yours finished up today? Ours isn't done. He did get the door hung and got the openings on one side covered in wire. We are also putting old tin skirting down on the floor.. due to the poor quality of the darn deck boards we used.. there are LOTS of gaps. Ugh. So yeah, it's gonna look kinda weird inside until we get the vinyl flooring down. LOL I so wish mine was cute and photo worthy. :/

I'm an alpha female. Always have been haha so the husband has learned after ten years to listen... Sometimes haha. But really, he is great.

No we had rain again today and will probably have it for a few more days. Might be able to get in a work day come Thursday but it just depends on the weather. You just never know in Oklahoma...

I'm sure in the end, it will all turn out great! Don't stress it!

 

[DreamsInPink]

I'm an alpha female. Always have been haha so the husband has learned after ten years to listen... Sometimes haha. But really, he is great.

No we had rain again today and will probably have it for a few more days. Might be able to get in a work day come Thursday but it just depends on the weather. You just never know in Oklahoma...

I'm sure in the end, it will all turn out great! Don't stress it!

I'm an alpha as well! That is so funny that you said it that way... my bf makes fun of me. haha! Because I always have to know what's going on with things. I just... like to know. My bf is listening more and more.. it's just a process, right? lol

Oi, your weather sounds a lot like Ohio. You just never know! I'm hoping we make great progress tomorrow. *fingers crossed*

Yes, I know it will, in the end. I can see it in my head. It's just getting it there that's the problem. But thank you!! Isn't it exciting??

 

[Rock Home Isle]

It's been great following this build project.

 

[beautifulpirate]

It's still not TECHNICALLY done but it was done enough to move the chickens in tonight. I love them but I could NOT take one more day of the chicken dust...

First I needed to put hwc in for the soffit vents. It may have been poorly planned for. I imagine it would have been ten times easier to install before adding the roof deck. But even with all my book smarts, sometimes my common sense fails. Lots of screw, washers and staples later and they are super secure!

This spot was a bit of a nightmare. Although it was made a smidge better by the 90 degree bit attachment. One of the best $10 we have ever spent haha.

We blocked off the nesting boxes for now until they are older.

And we got the pop door rigged on 550 chord. It won't be used for a little while because we want to get the birds used to their new home do they begin to know t as a safe place at night.

Moved the babies out to their new home...

We went ahead and put keyed padlocks on the doors just to be safe.

The key is off to the side, hanging from a coffee mug hook.

Then the birds were locked in for the night and being in their new, bizarre surroundings, they chirp madly. I guess one of the neighborhood cats came along to investigate. It showed too much interest for my liking. But I am positive my babies are secure and safe in there... I hope.

Things still left to do:
Add trim
Fix one of the rear windows
Touch up paint (I boobooed on the exterior in a couple tiny spots)
Caulk the interior of the nesting boxes
BUILD THE RUN
paint the ramp

 

[beautifulpirate]

Also gotta add the fascia. I'm sure I will come up with more to add to my list haha.

 

[DreamsInPink]

Very, very nice!!! I bet you were just super excited to get them out there. This is night 3, or is it 4?...... Idk.. haha. Of my oldest group being outside. Well, in the coop... and it's not 100% yet either. ALL of the HC isn't up yet... which has me freaking a little bit. But my bf keeps chastising me and telling me they'll be fine. So I've just resigned myself to let it go and see.... and if anything happens, I get to say I told you so for the rest of his life!!!

 

[beautifulpirate]

Added a (hopefully) waste free, rodent proof (because this will eventually go out in their run) feeder.

Gotta add a hanging waterer or something they can't tip soon. Then still gotta build the run asap and do all the little tiny stuff, bit by bit.