From Civilian to Chicken Rancher timeline.

[The Lazy L]

My Chickens are spoiled...They only wear Ray-Bans...

The run looks great. How often are you able to work on it?

Thank you.

I work on the run weekends and evenings as time and weather permits. BO are arriving in May so I have until this fall to get the run completed.

 

[The Lazy L]

April 2

I got the roof slopes figured out to match the coop's. I just had to add 12" of height to the front wall to give me the roof slope I wanted. This is the part of the run that will have a roof over it.

The picture also shows the 8" blocks I had to use to bring the wall into level. Looks like I'm going to wheelbarrow a lot of sand for fill.





The run roof angles match the coop's! YEA!

Now I can move on to the rafters and the people door design.

 

[The Lazy L]

April 3

A lot of thinking and planning for a little progress.

I just get the tools drug out when the wife, "SUPPER'S READY!". Then back to work for a bit before the sun sets.

I did get the 2 pieces of 1 rafter figured out and cut. I'll use these as patterns to cut the rest of the rafters.

I did get the horizontal support "beam" cut and screwed into place (supports the other end of the roof) along with the ridge beam temporarily in place.

Found out that the 8' 2 x 4s are actually 8' 1/4" in length. I'll have to fudge a bit when I put the 4' x 8' plywood on the roof. If I don't tell anyone they will never notice.

 

[joan1708]

Wow! That looks pretty sturdy! It should be able to ride out a few storms!

 

[The Lazy L]

Wow! That looks pretty sturdy! It should be able to ride out a few storms!

One of my concerns is a strong South wind would catch the roof and flip the run over. Hopefully with only putting a roof over 8' the chance of a flip over would be minimized. Hmmm...I wonder if I could use rebar and anchor it to the ground?

 

[ailurophile23]

Is the run going to be attached to the coop? Or will the chickens have to go through a tunnel to get from the coop into the run? Thanks for sharing the build details - it is always amazing to see things created - and to follow someone else's train of thought with respect to building.

 

[The Lazy L]

Is the run going to be attached to the coop? Or will the chickens have to go through a tunnel to get from the coop into the run? Thanks for sharing the build details - it is always amazing to see things created - and to follow someone else's train of thought with respect to building.

Coop will be painted and I couldn't figure out how to paint properly with the run attached. So I figured a tunnel would solve that problem and allow me to move the run's people door from the west end to the east end (beside the coop).

I haven't decided yet if the tunnel will be more of a tube or go all the way to the ground.

 

[ailurophile23]

I highly recommend a solid bottom for the tunnel, whether that is the ground or a piece of wood. My chickens seem to have real issues using open ladder-type walkways but will use a solid ramp any time.

 

[The Lazy L]

I highly recommend a solid bottom for the tunnel... My chickens seem to have real issues using open ladder-type walkways but will use a solid ramp any time.

Thank you for the insight. Solid bottom it will be.

 

[joan1708]

are you going to bury your wire or hardware cloth in the ground? That should help anchor it.