GlennJapan
In the Brooder
My adventure began with a totally random purchase at a local hardware store that had a pet department. 4 hens and a quail. 12meters of 90cm chicken wire. And no experience.
Step 1: breaking Ground and getting my son off his XBox gaming console. Chopping and hoeing the weeds out of the garden. Tilling the soil to prep for foundation blocks.
Time is of the essence. Little guys want out of their box!
Step 2: building a basic dimension footer to gauge layout direction.
Ran out of daylight and luckily had a spare cage for them to spend the night in the house.
Day 2. Chickens stink ... Time to get foundation set and get to building.
Getting the full chicken supervision!
Teaching my son the basics of cut and measure!
Step 3: Painting day with my son
Step 4: brainstorming late into the night about making the nest boxes hygienic by lining the floor and walls with currogated plastic for easier cleanup with a hose. I'm imaging they are going to poop everywhere.
Step 5: chicken wire. Picked up another 12m x 90cm roll and a new stapler.
Step 6: I think the chickens need a little freedom from the cage and time to think about where we go from here. Temporary boxs. I Also buried chicken wire 1 foot below the soil surrounding the perimeter of the coop. They are loving the freedom.
Step 7: build a functional door. Came out better than I hoped.
Step 8: realization that farming is work Time to build efficiency and time management into this. Time to google and you tube some feeder ideas.
Step 9: introspection, observation and well hanging out with the chickens. Ordering some DYI stuff from America.
Step 10: putting ideas to work. Roosting bar and gravity feeder.
Step 11: water nipples arrived. Time to build!
This has worked out better than I imagined
Getting a little crowded in here. Time to integrate a ladder and proper nesting boxes! More research to follow.
I guess farming ain't all that bad. Time for beer!