Cheryl's Hen House...

[aart]

Hey, if I could afford it, I'd go(be) there too!

 

[scooter147]

Terry you can tell you are a newbie. "to keep the tract clean"

When the hens start scratching in the bedding you will be amazed at how high they can kick it.

Looking good. Looking forward to progress reports and especially when the chicks arrive.

You have heard of chicken math haven't you???

Enjoy

 

[TerryH]

Terry you can tell you are a newbie. "to keep the tract clean"

When the hens start scratching in the bedding you will be amazed at how high they can kick it.

Looking good. Looking forward to progress reports and especially when the chicks arrive.

You have heard of chicken math haven't you???

Enjoy

Definitely guilty of being a newbie.

You think the door needs to be higher or am I just delusional that I'm going to keep the guillotine door tracks clear? Chicken math. Yes, I've heard of it. We are infinitely familiar with multiplication in every hobby. Did you see the pictures I posted?

That's why we aren't starting with a 4x4 coop.

 

[TerryH]

Hey, if I could afford it, I'd go(be) there too!

I've literally built up the machines and such a little at a time over the past 20 years. The shop is a labor of love for me. I enjoy working on it as much as working in it. Hours melt away when I'm in the shop doing whatever. Some days I just go out there and sit and listen to music. We lead very hectic lives including hectic careers. The shop is my hiding place.

 

[TerryH]

It was another beautiful day here in NW Arkansas!! Cheryl and I got quite a bit more done on the coop among our other responsibilities. Easter weekend is a biggie for us. We pastor a church that meets in a low income apartment complex in our town so we took a break from coop building at noon and knocked on doors at the complex. There are 192 units and half are up stairs!! Whew 15,000 steps and 17 flights of stairs says my iPhone today. We are tired.

Cheryl was priming cedar trim boards while I was finishing the walls...

I managed to get the remaining 2 walls framed and all 3 sided with 1 standing. Confirmed again that I am terrible and pitifully slow at framing but it's getting done. No time for coop things tomorrow but I'm taking off work Monday afternoon through Wednesday so I hope to have a close to done coop by the time I go back to work on Thursday.

We did find a local hatchery that's about half an hour away so we will be getting a dozen chicks as soon as I can get the coop done. Anyone have any experience with Muddy Feathers Farms??

http://www.muddyfeathersfarm.com/

 

[beautifulpirate]

It's coming along nicely!!!

 

[TerryH]

Wrangled my neighbor into helping me after church this evening. Now it's starting to look like it might be a chicken coop.

We should be able to get a lot done this week. I'm off tomorrow afternoon through Wednesday and Cheryl is off on Tuesday.

Thanks for looking!! Hope everyone had an awesome Easter Sunday!!

Terry

 

[beautifulpirate]

Don't you love that point when it actually resembles what you had pictured in your mind?!

 

[TerryH]

Don't you love that point when it actually resembles what you had pictured in your mind?!

Yes I do!!!

 

[TerryH]

Cheryl and I very much enjoyed our day off! We got quite a bit done on the coop. We got the roof framed this morning and got the sheeting, tar paper and the metal roofing on this afternoon. I'm pretty pleased with how it's coming along.

Here is the roof framing. I was not in the original plan but I decided to do the little porch roof to give the coop a little more character and to provide some protection when the weather is bad.

Here you can see the rear ventilation. There will be 13 sq. ft. of permanent ventilation not counting the windows which have another 7.5 sq. ft. The rear opening will be covered with HWC and then with 8x16 soffit vents to keep the rain out. The human door will be solid but I'm making an inner screen door covered with HWC that will provide another 15 sq. ft. when the regular door is open. I've taken the adequate ventilation deal to heart on this coop!!!

Here's the rear vent opening from the inside. I'll make doors that will open upward to cover the opening in case of really bad weather.

Here's the front opening from the inside. I've already installed the HWC on it. Basically the entire upper section of the wall will be open and covered by the porch roof. I'll make some emergency doors for these openings as well.

And here is where we stopped. All the roof sheeting is on and secured and I temporarily installed the windows to try and keep tomorrows rain out as best I can. I'll be running the electrical and then starting to sheet the inside with OSB tomorrow.

I made a little decorative corbel to support the end of the porch roof.

It was a pretty productive day but we are both pooped. Pun intended.

Cheryl is back to work tomorrow and I have a lengthy conference call in the morning but I'll be back at it tomorrow afternoon. Thank for looking and let me know what you think.

Terry