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- #21
- Jun 29, 2011
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Weellll... I found my great deal on chain link, and decided to do some calling around. I talked at great length over the phone with a Wilco employee, who told me they had a 50 ft. roll of non-climb horse fence, 6 ft high, for $79.99. Barely more than I would pay for the chain link, and I like the hole shape/size better. So my mom drove all the way from Portland (it probably took her nearly an hour, versus the fencing store which was 10 minutes away from her). She got there, and they told her they didn't have it. I called them, talked with some guy who was a major jerkk--, like I was lying about what his employee had told me, asking me if I even knew the difference between non-climb and welded wire, and also telling me that I was over-doing it ("overkill" was his exact phrasing) with anything but chicken-wire. I told him he was mistaken--I can personally pull that crap apart with my bare hands, and if I can do that, any critter bigger than a cat can likely do the same! End result was that my mom picked me up a roll of welded-wire with 2x4 inch holes. I am extremely irritated at the service, but what can ya do? So, no chain-link I guess. But I'm still planning on using the hardware cloth or chicken-wire on the outside bottom couple of feet, plus my hot-wire. I don't care what the nay-sayers think, I want a Fort Knox!
I took the bebes outside for the first time yesterday, put them in a carefully positioned dog-pen situated around the trunk under the apple tree. Well, they were ecstatic all afternoon--once they got over the initial "Oh MY GOSH What happened to our little world???!!!! MoMMYYYYYY!!!!!!!" (They actually flocked around me and wouldn't leave, never have they before! Even hopped up on my lap, etc. SO CUTE!!!) But I eventually left them to fend for themselves, or so they thought anyway. They quickly began investigated, scratching, pecking, eating grass and digging for little buggies. ANYWAY, after a couple hours of fun and comfort under the tree, while I worked nearby on the coop, I went looking for my yorkie who had disappeared. As I was looking for him around the house, I noticed a hawk flying overhead, and begin circling down behind the house. I went charging up the hill and into the back yard, and watched him circling lower and lower the whole time. NO WAY he couldn't have seen me coming. He kept circling lower and lower, and ended up flying as low as about 5 feet above the apple tree! I actually had to GO INTO the pen with the chicks for him to get the idea I wasn't leaving, and leave himself! I couldn't believe the GALL! And they were protected by a big ol' apple tree overhead, well over-reaching the size of the pen they were in. I don't know how he could even have seen them as close and low as he got. The whole thing just reinforced my desires to build a maximum security fortress for my lil guys and gals! Grrr!
I looked on CL for a dog kennel several times, and never did I find anything in the area for less than I will spend on lumber and wire, so I just gave in and bought the supplies. Well--my mom donated the roll of wire and some lumber and paper wrap for the coop, which was a God-send!
Mary, thank you for the suggestions and the offer! Perhaps I will try to come out some time! I work about 10 minutes from you, so one of these days it would be nice to meet and see your set-up! just to clarify, I wasn't going to use chainlink or wire on the floor of the run, but actually bury it well below the floor, replacing the dirt I remove, and then adding a few inches of sand on top. I just don't like the look of the bend-out, as I imagine it, so I just wanted to bury it completely. Plus I will be using hot-wire around the edge, so hopefully will stop anything from digging even far enough to find my buried wire. If they do anyway, they won't get in--save for rats, but, well, eh. If those want in, they'll get in, I know that.
Anyway, the chicks got to see the progress on their future estate yesterday, and as far as I could translate--the peeps were all positive and encouraging! LOL.
I have re-drawn my plans about a dozen times, and finally settled on a 6x6x6 coop (approximate internal measurements are 5.5x5.5x5.5). So, well over 25 square feet of space. Plenty to add a couple more birds if I can sneak them past Casey! Tee hee!
So, here are a couple pictures of the set-up and the current framing. I just have to build the roof framing, and then I can start covering it! Eventually, it will be a little red barn, with plenty of windows (yes, plexi-glass, hardware cloth screened, fully functional to open and close as necessary). I can't wait to finish it! The coop is under an apple tree, which will provide for a good amount of shade, and they will even have a lovely view of the horse pasture on the hill behind, and the Columbia River off to the south-west, for those nice summer days when they want to lounge in the shade and take it all in!
Oh yah, and, as you can see, a dead tree smack in the middle of where the run will be, which will be cut down to size perfect for roosting in the sun--and yes, it will be protected from reach-thrus overtop!
Okay... I tried to post pictures, but I don't know how! I better get ready for work, but I will try to figure out the pics tonight! Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions, and I don't mind the "thread-jacking" at all--there's always something to learn!
Rochelle
I took the bebes outside for the first time yesterday, put them in a carefully positioned dog-pen situated around the trunk under the apple tree. Well, they were ecstatic all afternoon--once they got over the initial "Oh MY GOSH What happened to our little world???!!!! MoMMYYYYYY!!!!!!!" (They actually flocked around me and wouldn't leave, never have they before! Even hopped up on my lap, etc. SO CUTE!!!) But I eventually left them to fend for themselves, or so they thought anyway. They quickly began investigated, scratching, pecking, eating grass and digging for little buggies. ANYWAY, after a couple hours of fun and comfort under the tree, while I worked nearby on the coop, I went looking for my yorkie who had disappeared. As I was looking for him around the house, I noticed a hawk flying overhead, and begin circling down behind the house. I went charging up the hill and into the back yard, and watched him circling lower and lower the whole time. NO WAY he couldn't have seen me coming. He kept circling lower and lower, and ended up flying as low as about 5 feet above the apple tree! I actually had to GO INTO the pen with the chicks for him to get the idea I wasn't leaving, and leave himself! I couldn't believe the GALL! And they were protected by a big ol' apple tree overhead, well over-reaching the size of the pen they were in. I don't know how he could even have seen them as close and low as he got. The whole thing just reinforced my desires to build a maximum security fortress for my lil guys and gals! Grrr!
I looked on CL for a dog kennel several times, and never did I find anything in the area for less than I will spend on lumber and wire, so I just gave in and bought the supplies. Well--my mom donated the roll of wire and some lumber and paper wrap for the coop, which was a God-send!
Mary, thank you for the suggestions and the offer! Perhaps I will try to come out some time! I work about 10 minutes from you, so one of these days it would be nice to meet and see your set-up! just to clarify, I wasn't going to use chainlink or wire on the floor of the run, but actually bury it well below the floor, replacing the dirt I remove, and then adding a few inches of sand on top. I just don't like the look of the bend-out, as I imagine it, so I just wanted to bury it completely. Plus I will be using hot-wire around the edge, so hopefully will stop anything from digging even far enough to find my buried wire. If they do anyway, they won't get in--save for rats, but, well, eh. If those want in, they'll get in, I know that.
Anyway, the chicks got to see the progress on their future estate yesterday, and as far as I could translate--the peeps were all positive and encouraging! LOL.
I have re-drawn my plans about a dozen times, and finally settled on a 6x6x6 coop (approximate internal measurements are 5.5x5.5x5.5). So, well over 25 square feet of space. Plenty to add a couple more birds if I can sneak them past Casey! Tee hee!
So, here are a couple pictures of the set-up and the current framing. I just have to build the roof framing, and then I can start covering it! Eventually, it will be a little red barn, with plenty of windows (yes, plexi-glass, hardware cloth screened, fully functional to open and close as necessary). I can't wait to finish it! The coop is under an apple tree, which will provide for a good amount of shade, and they will even have a lovely view of the horse pasture on the hill behind, and the Columbia River off to the south-west, for those nice summer days when they want to lounge in the shade and take it all in!
Okay... I tried to post pictures, but I don't know how! I better get ready for work, but I will try to figure out the pics tonight! Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions, and I don't mind the "thread-jacking" at all--there's always something to learn!
Rochelle
