Coop repairs and new run

[JMotuzick]

Our coop was built on the dirt with 4x4 and decking for a retaining wall. After 30 years (lumber is stamped with a production date) it has shifted down the hill some... I “found” some 2x2x4 blocks, and fixed that today. Pushed the down hill side back up 1/2” I left the wood wall.

 

[JMotuzick]

It’s a tax thing too, the town will be sending people out before winter to look things over. If it all matches hoping it will be as was and no tax change. New concrete may stir up some issues.... a new roof is just a repair though! If need be in 20 years we can pop the posts out and either replace or add concrete. I’ll scrape off the snow with the roof rake, I do parts of the house around the sky lights and the car port anyway.

As for the red, it was here before me! The wood shed coop is just bare T-1-11. Using that as a grow out as there is no power or water there. It is only about 100’ from the House Hose, all driveway... so lots of cooling and uncoiling. Not fun in the winter either. Bad enough today at 80F!

 

[aart]

HooBoy, that's scary looking....unless the leaning to the right is just an optical illusion.
How the heck did you get those huge blocks down there?
What you've rigged under there might hold it up,
but might not keep the whole thing from shifting/tipping over.
I'd be double cross bracing those new posts.

 

[JMotuzick]

A friend of mine stopped over after work today and in about a hour we had rafters!

Perlins go up starting tomorrow once those are done I’ll be off to buy the roofing.....

 

[JMotuzick]

Got some goodies in the mail today! Hopefully the rest will be in tomorrow. Long day today plus thunder storms, taking today off. I’ll hit it hard again over the weekend.

 

[JMotuzick]

I’ll see what I can do! Poop try’s are a mess after I do a full cleaning today/tomorrow. After I finish the new run space I need to move inside. Gota add more roost space and then later more nest boxes. We have 10 in the grow out coop at about 5 weeks. Once they hit about 12 hopefully I’ll be done with the repairs and can get them to become one flock! Was only planing on keeping 8 but my friend who was taking 2 has to many already.... his coop/run is 12x20 at best and has 17 now! Full sun most off the day too. He just laughs when I try to explain space!

 

[JMotuzick]

This was pulling some shrubs last summer. Not the best of pictures! I’m really a red guy, but the right green one came along sooooo.....

 

[JMotuzick]

Water brake!

Kinda humid today...

Got a door on and cut a pop door. Run door is kinda tight and needs a good push to latch but it’s better then to lose. I had a ramp from the free craigslist coop in the back ground of the second picture. Gota get the waterer and a hot wire set up. The deck guy cut some braces for under the coop from his scrap for me. Maybe I’ll get them under the coop too....


Almost done with this phase!

Next phase is to double the size of the less secure outer run. It’s just going to be chain link with a hot wire. Bird netting on top. Craigslist coop will be part of it. Gota burry some fence and make a door area. Then the hot wire. Hopefully in the next 2-3 weeks I can get that done too...

 

[JMotuzick]

Spent this morning grading off the new run area enough to work safly. Then I cut a big hole into the side of the coop! It’s about 42”x7’ I was going to go the full 8’ but the nest boxes are there and I wanted to keep the breeze off them in the winter.

Some hardware cloth stapled and then sandwiched with 2x4’s. The 2x8 on top will act as a gurder to hold the rafters. I also set the gurder for the lower side. I’m not a framer so I will need some help getting birds mouth angles right on the rafters gota get call a few friends, to see who is free this week.

I’m thinking the prices of T1-11 I cut out would make a great price of upper siding. It would go below the roof but above the sides of the run. Should help to keep the water out of the now open south side of the coop.... thoughts?

 

[aart]

Also don’t forget it was standing the last 30 years without them!

Yeah...but.....
Well....