Barn Conversion - Ideas for This Project...

[ColtHandorf]

13.7' x 13.66' x 9.5' run for $89???
Hmmmm.....find that hard to believe.

I do too! I'm tempted to order one just to see what it looks like. It would be nice for my pair of White Orpingtons. They don't need a massive breeding pen. And then if I like them I could just order one a month or something? I still like the idea of the barn though if it's not just a disaster when I try.

 

[aart]

I do too! I'm tempted to order one just to see what it looks like. It would be nice for my pair of White Orpingtons. They don't need a massive breeding pen. And then if I like them I could just order one a month or something? I still like the idea of the barn though if it's not just a disaster when I try.

Go for it...use a credit card in case it turns hinky you can get your money back.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I've removed the existing solid portion in the middle of the barn and managed to get the aluminum siding off without damaging it irreparably which was a feat I'll say. They went way overboard with mounting it.

I started to frame out one of the stalls/pens with the re-purposed lumber but I rapidly decided that would be a project for screws and an electric screw driver versus a hammer and nails. Between me sweating and the very annoying carpenter bees that decided they didn't like construction I spent the afternoon burning off some brush instead.

I think I'll be able to get quite a bit done if I get started and have the right tools in the next few weeks. I'm anticipating the lumber/tin partitions shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. then I'll need to drive t-posts to put up the wire. After that the netting and then framing and wiring the front part of the barn with separate doors for each section. After that it'll just be putting up the fencing for the runs. I'm unsure if I want to roof the runs with netting/wire or leave them open topped. I haven't had an issue with aerial predators, but the existing pen is basically completely covered by a tree. Of course they'll have a whole barn to retreat into should the need arise, but I'm also a little iffy because the new breeding pens will be much closer to the woods and treeline.

 

[ColtHandorf]

@aart - I got a truckload of ramial wood chippings delivered from a local tree service Tuesday. I've been moving it by wheelbarrow into the existing pen in order to keep it from becoming a swamp with all the rain. The rest I was planning on moving to the barn. Would you advise laying it over the concrete slab? I was for sure planning on between the slab to the aluminum siding as there's a good eight inch gap or so and then in front of the slab out to at least the eave of the roof. I imagine I'll have enough left to cover the run area also, but I hate to cover up the grass that's already there until the chickens have destroyed it. Anyway, I just thought I'd ask to see what your thoughts were.

 

[aart]

Rain won't hurt the chip pile, better it's not sitting in a puddle tho.
If it's fresh chipped with lots of leaves, I'd not pile it too deep int he run.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I knew the rain wouldn't hurt it, I just don't fancy shoveling and carting wet (heavy) wood chips...lol

Do you see a problem with putting the wood chips over the concrete though?

 

[aart]

Do you see a problem with putting the wood chips over the concrete though?

None that I am aware of.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Cool. I couldn't think of any reason not to except that as the wood chips break down the slab will be under dirt...

 

[ColtHandorf]

Due to the geese deciding they needed to start breeding before the yard dried out enough for me to do all the work I wanted to on the barn, I spent the last two afternoons/nights (12:30 AM on Sunday and 10:30 PM last night) working with a flashlight in my mouth to get this done with no help until last night.

Early morning, drizzly photos of the barn. Obviously I still need to cover the additional open areas on the front of the barn with wire, and I'm going to spray/apply some sealant in the back corner seams to keep out unwanted friends (snakes). At the end of the month I'll extend the runs off the front of the barn an additional 20 feet, so the pens will be just over 10 feet wide and 50 feet long. I don't think that's too terrible. I also need to install some netting from the back pole to the center pole and to the lowest support (rafter) in order to keep pen hoppers on the right side. The roosts are just high enough that the smaller hens could visit old boyfriends. Doing the front will have to wait for the ground to dry out some more. I don't feel like dying on a ladder trying to mount a strip of the plastic I used as visual barriers on the roost ends of the dividing walls and then staple wire across there. Obviously the gates need a little bit of work, but after hammering, nailing, screwing, sawing, wiring, cutting, and all the other things I've done over the last two days, my hands are just done.

The Silver-laced Orpington Breeding pen:

Hollywood, Sterling II, Mel, Sue, Victoria, and Duchess (pacing the wire because Anne is two pens over and she can hear Caspian crowing)

The Blue, Black, and Splash Orpington Breeding pen with Chocolate and Lavender pullets for the time being until a Black cockerel is produced to cover them. Suede will reign supreme here when he's feeling better. He's currently in my bathroom recovering from a very sudden and severe attack by a hormonal gander.

Dahlia - Black hen
Agatha - Blue pullet
Prudence - Chocolate pullet
Dorcas - Lavender pullet

White Orpington pen:

Derek, Odette, and Anne are living here with the turkey who is not mean to them, but absolutely has decided after a week of the geese being locked up (to keep them from injuring anyone else) that he should absolutely start fights where there are no clear winners as I have to break the two of them up.

Obviously it is a work in progress. I'd like to have matching feeders and 5 gallon waterers for them eventually. I'm trying dropping boards under the BBS and Whites to see how I like that. I need about two more loads of wood chips but it's too wet for them to dump by the barn right now. :/ Any suggestions or glaring mistakes I've made? Everything looks good by the light a flashlight when you desperately want to be done. lol

I don't love the roosts or the nest boxes. But it works for right now and at least they are away from the geese. I also don't plan on using hay from the dropping boards, but it's literally the only thing I had on hand. None of the feed stores had pine shavings, and honestly I'd rather use sand than PDZ so I'll just have to pick some up at the end of the month when I grab the extra roll of welded wire and the netting.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Included this again to show where the new pens are versus their old ones. Blue lines are where their outdoor runs will be, pink lines are the old pen where the geese are now, and Caspian in a tractor, and the black lines are the yard fence that the geese will be able to graze in during the day while I'm at work.

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