Adding 2nd run.. If you can't laugh at yourself? (added predator pics)

[88heather]

So.. My first coop my handy husband built along with the run.. Well hubby is deployed and while he is gone.. tee hee.. I bought more chicks and a 2nd coop.. I would not even attempt to build a coop.. but how hard can a run be??? I thought.. I barely know how to use a drill.. again.. how hard can it be?? Did I plan? NOPE!.. I just kept buying lots of 2"x4"x8' pieces of wood, chicken wire, and a larger top wire that keeps predators out but large enough for snow to fall through and not collapse the roof... stained the wood.. bought exterior screws.. (i did know that much!) LOL i had a general idea of how I wanted to attach the chicken wire and take the wood posts going over the coop.. I started out and put the level out.. and basically started with a door frame going over the front of the coop.. With no help of anyone even holding boards for me.. I was having problems (obviously). I went to Home Depot and asked for help to which he said I should try right angle brackets.. and he hooked me up with the right size screws.. My first screws were 3" and he said that was way too long.. i was stripping screws left and right.. so he gave me a mini crash course lesson on how to use a drill. LOL! I'm a mess!.. but I'm trying.. Like I said. how hard can it be??

So the other day my friend and also realtor lady came by.. She has more experience than I do and learned on her own from years of trial and error.. After having a good laugh at my mess.. we worked some. Now I am using a power miter saw which I didn't even know what that was called till I had to phone my dad for help and he had to figure out over the phone what kind of saw I needed to use. (handy hubby we have loads of tools!

) When she came over and helped.. WOW having someone help me made a HUGE difference.. so we made a 6x6 sections and I'll just make a few of those and tie them all together.. That section is sturdy and the best looking piece.. so I think I'll have one section look pretty decent and the other section where I first started figuring this out look like I hired a bunch of preschoolers to do it!

Not sure how this will turn out but it's going to be obvious where I started first and seeing the learning curve change. Any skilled builder would gasp!.. Most would want to tear it down.. Parts are ugly.. and funky.. I call it whimsical!

But I'm pretty sure they'll hold..

When my husband sees this when he returns.. I hope he can at least be proud that I tried.. On my own.. My chicks are growing by the second and I'm sick of them in the dog pen in my garage. I think it will be pretty ugly (in parts..) but I do think it will hold.. (I think..

).. Thank goodness I can tie in to my husband's sturdy run!

So today.. with my kids we are going to try and finish.. I can laugh at myself .. and I have always wanted to learn to build.. I haven't but maybe once ever used a drill before .. so I find it comical..

Anyone ever saw the "Married with children" long ago when Al and Jefferson try to build a tool bench? Ok.. well not that bad.. but I did think about this episode as I am building this thing!

part 2.. watch on you tube part one.. I just watched the whole episode and am crying laughing so hard.. as I sort of relate!

I should show pics soon.. but i'm a bit embarrassed.

 

[dsqard]

So OK you have got to post pictures.

I think it is sooooo cool that you are trying to do this yourself and are learning as you go! I have always loved working with tools even if I don't always know what I am doing! The only way I can get DH to start a project sometimes is to start it myself and then he will jump in. You go girl! I think your DH might laugh a little when he sees it but he will probably think it is awesome that you did it. You have mentioned the additional chickens, right??!!

ETA - Love the blue merle collie! He/she looks just like my blue merle sheltie just bigger!

 

[88heather]

Hubby ONLY knows I have new chicks.. He has NO CLUE I even bought a 2nd coop and NO CLUE I am attempting to build! LOL! My father who is all the way across the country.. I have called and all he says is "think triangles for stability".. I don't know what i'm doing. My father has built many houses (retired engineer).. When I told him that my run at the beginning could blow over in a light wind (yes.. I took the first attempt down not that the 2nd attempt is prettier and it's NOT but more sturdy as I actually have the screws all the way through) I could hear the "OMG woman.. what are you doing" sound in dad's voice.. then dad says.. "I have failed as a father for not teaching you about tools". When we built our first coop/run.. I was just the painter.. I watched a little and used the miter saw with hubby a few times which made me brave about getting the saw out and plugging it in.. heh ;D .. I am a very "Do it now." type person.. No patience.. i want it done yesterday (as I screw up left and right

). I have screws I stripped that are permantly attached to the wood.. (I think I'll use them for hanging stuff

). Guy at Home Depot showed me how to use the drill correctly and why I was stripping screws.. (haven't stripped one since then and have a few places to hang stuff.. tee hee)

I'm a Facebook addict.. but my husband is a facebook friend so I'm not even talking about my disaster there as I don't want him to see till he comes back for his break.. (then he can smack his head and gasp!

). Ugly but .. I still think I can do it.. I mean the chickens don't care! and maybe now I can do these sections my realtor helped me create.. maybe that part will look decent.. (i hope) and the bad part my look kind of hidden?? at least the first part is the shorter side.. I'm not even building a rectangle.. think part octagon! Oh brother.. I'm a mess!

Yes.. that pic (i should post a new one as I haven't posted here in a while) is my Gumbo.. My male blue merle collie.. he's a doll and good with the chickens and my kitties.. He's a sweat heart!

I did email my neighbor and asked if her husband could come by to help.. Well he was out of town.. I don't want to wait nor do I want to have to pay someone.. I think I can still do this ugly or not.. I WANT to!.. May have him come by when done if he wants to suggest way to keep it super secure.. I think he'll gasp as when I googled their phone number.. it turns out my neighbor is a civil engineer.. I think he'd want to rip the whole thing apart!

 

[dsqard]

Totally understand about wanting it "done now". To get my first coop built, I waited a bit since DH wanted to design and build it. He has much more wood working experience than me (think 7th grade shop class many many years ago!) so I waited. After a week of waiting, I found a really easy coop design and went out and bought the materials. When he came home and saw all the wood in the garage, he knew that he better get going on it or I was going to attempt doing it myself. Yup, would have done it too but he did get going and it turned out really nice. The only flaw I could see as soon as it was built, was that it was going to be way too small for any additional chickens that I might want! Oh yeah I was totally gone on the chickens by then and I had only owned some for two weeks. LOL Now we have two coops (bought the second one but our first one is much more sturdy) and are going to build the third (DH says it WILL be the final one so I better come up with a number of chickens I want vs. number of chickens I have) to house all of them. Can't wait to get started and if he doesn't move fast enough, I will start without him!!

Yup gotta love the blue merle color. Had an aussie when I was little and then found out that shelties come in blue merle. So now I have one blue merle and one bi-blue. The blue merle has always been my little psycho dog and the bi-blue is so laid back. I don't think I could trust them with the chickens though!

 

[88heather]

At least you had 7th grade shop class.. I have only been a watcher and just telling my hubby what projects I wanted done. I have held wood for him.. painted and that's it. My hubby also designed and built our main/first coop. Only problem with the main coop is the way the perches are inside.. they perch right over their waterer so I'm constantly cleaning poo off of them. Yuck! I really need to move the perches around somehow so they aren't perching over the feeders. Other than that.. it's a nice coop.. even insulated.. super sturdy but I need a smaller 2nd coop for new chicks and such.. I wanted more different chickens for a nice variety of egg colors. New chicks are one is a mutt.. (should lay olive green eggs as the lady said).. One Wheaten Maran (for the dark brown), and two araucaunas for the sky blue eggs.. Hope all are hens! I'm only certain on the wheaten maran as she says it was sexed by color.. just crossing fingers on the other 3!

I bought the small coop from this website as they are close by and delivered it http://www.coolcoops.com . I had someone here that at least helped me get the coop level.. The ground isn't very level which gives me some problems too.


I have only owned collies and this collie is my 2nd blue merle. I grew up with a blue merle collie that looked like my dog now and had the same name! When I tried to name Gumbo.. we kept saying how much we liked the name "Gumbo" of the dog I had growing up.. so I guess he's "Gumbo II"

Well.. at least I'll have my kids today to hold boards. I bought them nerf guns last night and they both owe $5 for the balance on the Nerfs.. i said i'd wave the $5 if they'd really help me hold boards today.. It doesn't go so well putting wood together without an extra set of hands..

Some of my first boards stand at a slight angle.. Whimsical is my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

[MistyValley]

waiting on pictures..... and btw

for you for trying this yourself!

 

[88heather]

and when I show pics.. I'll proudly say I didn't take no stinking shop classes.. Ok.. that will be OBVIOUS!

Thanks.. I'll try and take a pic before I start today and knock on wood. (but not too hard on this run. may fall over.. j/k. (er.. i hope) ) and see if I can magically finish it???

will post pics tonight.. Cross your fingers for me!! need all the luck and good vibes I can get!!

 

[dsqard]

Quote:
X2 You must post pictures!! We will be laughing with you not at you, trust me! You will get lots of

but you will also get lots of

from everyone! You can't knock someone for trying their best and it is awesome that you are involving the kids! Whimsical is perfectly legitimate!

 

[88heather]

tee hee.. I may need to have a few wines tonight before I show the world my handy work!

.. I wonder how many job offers I'll get?? tee hee

 

[88heather]

when my hubby first deployed. I was trying to use the screwdriver and screw in something (solar light post) and was holding it in my hand.. aiming the screw driver right for my hand.. Guess to what I did?? YEP GASHED my hand with it.. ran in covered in blood.. Thank goodness was a tiny screw driver and i'm a fast healer.

.. so I must be nuts attempting this but I am very aware where I aim now.. this is why I posted the Married with children link to Al and Jefferson building the 'easy tool bench" So funny!

Ok.. i guess I better get out there. I have more wood to stain.. I had no idea how much wood I need so I keep getting more 2x4's!.. Then building time!

My chicks want out of the garage and they are getting bigger by the second! Yikes!