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

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

C'mon pictures!!! I'll show you mine if you show me yours! Ok well mines only a fence but still! I did it all by myself!

 

[88heather]

LOL!! Ok.. I didn't complete near what I thought I would today.. I always think I can do more than I can. I blabbed more about it this morning and got a late start. tee hee.. . The sun was beating down on me so hard.. that all I accomplished today was making another 6x6 panel.. attaching chicken wire to the first 6x6 panel and painting the boards.. painting a bunch of boards took forever.. it was hot! did I say that already?? Ok.. not AZ hot but beating sun wore me down.. I came in and napped.

I did take the before pics.. so you can see where I was when I started today but didn't photo again today this evening when I accomplished more... I got back to working on it early evening (cooler out).. The 6x6 panels are at least sturdy so glad I know how to make those.. I bought some brackets as my 6x6 panels will need to turn at an odd angle to loop back and hook on to hubby's run.. We'll see how that goes.. I want to make a door. have the hinges and stuff.. and again.. we'll see how that turns out. I get so pumped before I go out and then do a lot of head scratching as I think to myself.. what the heck am I doing??

Ok.. give me a minute or two.. putting kids to bed and I'll at least show what I'm dealing with..

 

[88heather]

I'd love to see the people who don't know how to build come out of the closet here? hehe

Ok.. these pics I took this morning so you know where I was.. got more done today but not much.. this is good to show you all my oops.. yes.. i can imagine many would say to take it apart.. But.. as long as it holds.. It stays unless when my dad visits.. he may want to dismantle it.. I don't think he'll have time.. my hubby when he comes back may want to redo it too.. Don't care at this point if it's pretty.. i'm tired and beat and I'm going with whimsy.. even my dog is embarrassed as you can see.. (the coop I love.. so cute built by the guys at cool coops.com .. Hope I'm not deminishing their work.. heh ;D

You can see the metal brackets.. The guy at Home Depot thought he was helping but when I put up these two sides.. I realized it was short and with no help my boards were crooked.. oops..

(remember.. I JUST barely learned to use the drill!.. so be kind! .. Home depot guy said at least I'm trying.. )

So how to attach crooked section to other section.. a ha. this way.. LOL Oh brother.. this had my realtor friend in stitches.

My head hen Bloo.. is not pleased with my shotty building skills.. as she sits in the good run.

Far away shot.. Love the yellow .. got the coop unpainted so I painted it a bright yellow with white trim..

And the two coops next to each other and I'm attaching to that run..

I have stripped screws.. hand sawed off edges that were in the way.. I just figured out how to tighten the drill as I was having the pilot hole maker coming off the drill and having to get it out.. finally have the drill tight.. If there was a mistake to make.. I made it.. The one board in the far back is bowed b/c I didn't check for straight wood..

You can see the first 6x6 panel coming in. and I JUST learned to make those 45 degree cuts to put the angle pieces in.. so I'll just put those all over.

.. Whatever.. chickens don't care.. Good chance hubby takes this apart when he gets back unless it's just ugly but sturdy he may leave it .. It'll be interesting to hear what my dad says when he sees this when they visit..

Ok.. be kind..

 

[Tdub4chiks]

OMG, I am rolling on the floor. But really, I have to give you credit for attempting this yourself. Construction is not the easiest thing to do. Hopefully your father will come visit before your husband gets home. lol

I think it's great and you should be proud of yourself. Good luck with finishing this project.

 

[88heather]

I've always had my husband to do things so all I've ever used before this was a hammer and a screwdriver (not a drill.) LOL.. My husband will be shocked I went at this so blindly!

My parents are coming for a visit but they bring their dogs and their dogs would love to eat my chickens (my dog is their protector).. I have to have my new chicks in this run before they come. I really hope I can get them in there this week.. yes.. it's funny.. I can even laugh at it.. Even now just in the little i've learned now.. I would of started it differently but I'm too tired and eager to get the chicks in there to dismantle any of it.. My realtor told me that her husband would insist I take it apart!

 

[dsqard]

You go girl!!!! It looks very "whimsical" but I have to say it is not nearly as crooked as I would have thought! You are doing so good for someone who only used a screwdriver and a hammer before. The 6X6 panels that you are building are looking much straighter. How are you planning on getting the wire on it? I don't know how you fastened the wire on the pen your DH made but a heavy duty staple gun works really well. Keep going and of course we all want to see updated photos as you go. Love the "embarassed" dog in the pic too!!!

 

[The Lisser]

You are a brave soul!!! I can tell you love your chickens!!!

Okay I also have very limited building experience (leave DH to do most of it) . . . you should have seen the pvc-pipe tractor run that I attempted to build. Oh boy, that thing fell apart! However, I do have a question for you about your run project. Are the vertical posts set into the ground or just on top? When DH builds stuff around here, he uses a post-hole digger to set the vertical posts (treated wood) into the ground, and for the corner ones he uses the bagged cement that you just pour into the hole and the moisture from the ground sets it up. He uses a level to make sure they are straight up and down. If you wanted to strengthen what you have (if it's not set in the ground), you could buy some treated 4x4s and set them into the ground at the corners of your run and attach to your run. Just a thought . . .

Melissa

 

[BorderKelpie]

Spectacular!!!! I am so very proud of you!

You took on a huge project all by yourself, you're learning great new skills and you are still proud/humble enough (does that make any sense? It does to me somehow) to laugh at yourself.

I think that in itself along with the grit and determination you have displayed is worthy of the highest praises!

You go, girl!!!

And a huge thanks to you and your DH to sacrifice your precious time together and all the extra stress and strife you two are enduring, just to keep me (and all of us) safe and free.

Thank you!

(Love the yellow, BTW!)

And Gumbo is beautiful.

 

[88heather]

I did learn from the first coop to use the galvanized staples.. so what you don't see yet is yesterday I took the wire and added it to the the 6x6 panel on the left. I fiirst used a staple gun hubby had.. then hammered in the galvanized staples to hold it.. Now the 6x6 panel idea was my Realtor

.. Yes using measuring tape sure does help!

.. If she hadn't come over the rest of it would of continued to look like the first as I am too impatient and want it up now.. I'm so anxious to get the chicks out of the garage.. So for the panel just got 4 of the 2x4x8's.. MEASURED (novel concept

)them to 6' then used the left over 2' sections and cut the 45 degree pieces.. Thank goodness for hubby's miter saw!!! If I hadn't used that with him last summer a few times.. i would of never tried. Now when I took the miter saw down and got it ready to use I couldn't even lift the blade.. Had to call my dad and figure out it was on a spring lock. I was ready to call it quits and hire someone. My kids told me at the beginning.. "Mom.. just hire someone to do it?". I am letting the wire go long on the ground and will try and bury it.. and I'll go get some rocks or something to put on top to keep anything from getting in there. We have LOTS of fox around here but haven't figured out why we've never had an attempt on the chickens?? Maybe they have lots of other things to eat here instead of going through the extra trouble??

The vertical posts are just sitting there.. I think my panels will be pretty wobbly till I screw in to the other run. yikes!.. I'll be making some weird angle turns with the panels.. Plus I'm adding a door that will be near the other run.. and just the size that will work to hook the two together. I went to home Depot and got some weird angle brackets that are a bit pliable for adding the next 6x6 panel to the other one.. Not sure how that will work yet?? my realtor told me about those brackets. My realtor/friend is great.. Wow.. that was the first help I got (besides kids). I may see if I can add another horizontal board later in the middle of the panel to give me something extra to hammer in those staples to.

Originally I was just going to make a small run and go straight out from the coop straight to hooking on husband's run till my kids so "No mom.. it has to be BIG!".

I'll photo more and see what I come up with to get it more stable in the ground.. As soon as I get close enough to the other run.. I'll try and get a board up there to hook the 2 together.. and just keep adding stuff to help secure it.

Thanks so much.. Every single run I've seen here is so well built that it felt embarrassing to show.. but what you don't know.. you DON'T know till you try and fail and keep trying.. My husband has NEVER been away like this. He's near the end of his 20 yrs in and his first deployment .. so pretty much everything he did. I"m learning to do.. It's hard but it feels good to learn something.. and he should be scared that I am learning how to use the drill and his tools b/c of the trouble I'll get myself into . tee hee!

Plus my dad when he visits is building a wet bar in the basement and dad said he'll teach me and he wished he had tried to teach me before.. but I wouldn't have been interested anyway. Really I got the new chicks first on impulse.. b/c that how I do things.. That could be obvious.

Thank you thank you.. for all the support.. each day I start I'm motivated but that usually diminishes through the day when I run into problem after problem. Oh well. I think I'll get it to at least stand and keep things out and chicks in.. Or at least I hope so!

 

[vfem]

.

Go Heather!

Right now who cares. You are getting it done, you haven't quit, you're not giving up and (somehow) the panels are standing up. You must be accomplishing something.

Don't worry, I won't rat you out to hubby

Keep us updated... and if you have any questions just ask, I'll see what I can come up with. Brian is gone today doing some 'work' for someone... but if you need him, I will call long as you say so!