Converting a not-a-greenhouse to a chicken coop

[hosspak]

Right! If I knew I could find that hardware I would bust that out at my house.

 

[AmyPaperlady]

I'd have to have the whole house redone to match the door... Gorgeous, though!

 

[hosspak]

Well then, you should probably get started on the remodel! LOL. That was just an example of dutch door, but it does look awesome.

 

[AmyPaperlady]

Stupid badtimingitis... I decided (and declared to my husband, so I couldn't just conveniently forget) that I was going to finish the predator-proofing this weekend--Monday at the latest, and finish everything needed to be bird-ready by the end of the month (painting the outside can be done with residents on the inside, after all...). THE MORNING AFTER, I wake up with a scratchy throat that rapidly turned into one of the worst colds I've had in a while, AND the weather turns all misty and bleah. I did get some measuring done, but I haven't even marked any cuts on boards, much less done anything constructive. I think I can still make the end-of-the-month deadline, or nearly, but it's safe to say that predator-proofing ain't happening this weekend.

 

[Alaskan]

Bummer, I hope you get better soon.

 

[AmyPaperlady]

Thanks! Feeling much better today.

I got all my cuts measured and marked yesterday (should be the last of the major bits of wood) for my husband to hit with the circular saw. I could finish up with my hand saw, but half the cuts are nice big plywood pieces--pop door, people door, and cleaning up the edge of the nest box roof.

Today, I finished up the nest boxes, except for the roof. The hinges went much faster this time, since I now know what order to attach the things!

 

[AmyPaperlady]

It's taken nearly a week, what with my being out of town, and it raining, but we have a people door! It's not hung yet, nor is there any hardware on it yet, but it's a door. Heavy thing--glad I decided to build it on the cement part of the driveway, which is even, though not level, and right next to the coop. Even if I did have to tell both girls (and the dog) to stay away when they came out, as the framing of the door was all nicely squared but nothing was fastened yet!

 

[hosspak]

That's a very handsome door. Looks like it will work nicely. Do you have a piece of plexi glass to cover the opening during the winter? If it's heavy like you say get heavy duty hinges.

 

[AmyPaperlady]

I got some heavy gate hinges.

The weather has been really weird lately. Normally, it finishes raining (for the most part) around June-ish, with maybe some around the 4th of July, and it doesn't rain again until around Halloween--with September to midOctober being the best weather of the year--it may even reach 70! This year, we started hitting mid70s to mid80s just when I started this project, maybe warmer--warm enough that jeans and a t-shirt were too warm for standing in the sun while sawing/tearing down walls. And then, after the school year started, and I had less time to work on things, the rains started

I was planning on getting a lot done today--but at least I made a Home Depot run...


Yesterday, I hung the back pop door, so when I make up my mind about where the run's going to go...





Did most of the work on this former hot-tub house vent last night, after dark (spotlight from the garage plugged into nearby outlet)--got the fender washers and anchored the hardware cloth today right before the storm blew in. (There had been one in the back, too, but that one got eliminated by the big stretch of hardware cloth...)


Scrounged up this hook today, too.


This bit was already set up.


Closed, with newer hinge and board. This old rusted stiff thing is the old hinge.

I also did some bracing last night, and covering of hardware cloth holes with fender washers today. I'd forgotten that I'd need 2 washers for every hole, so I ran out and will need to get some more. I should have enough nuts and bolts, though.

Aside from hanging the people door, most of the remaining predator-proofing is stuff that wouldn't exactly show well in photos. And the gutter will need to be put back up (had to take it down to anchor the back wall ventilation). Then I'll be concentrating on the interior.

 

[Alaskan]

It is looking so good!

So much fun!

Bum about the weather.......