But I'm being cheap! Started the run yesterday, after being inspired by a pile of scrap wood we were going to burn.
Included was a king size bed frame, with nice 2x12x8 runners, and the metal corner brackets still on! Perfect for affixing to the building.
Dug some thick fence posts into the corners, 5ft tall was left exposed, smaller than a telephone pole, but same concept. Hammered the bed rails to those. Got a roll of rabbit wire out of the basement, just long enough to do the perimeter with about 4 ft to spare. Also had 2 1x7's, which were stained the same color as the rails.. they went top and bottom on the end. Rabbit wire between them. Found a 1x9, hammered that to one side, leaving the other side open for some kind of gate. Haven't "designed" that yet.
But the scrap has come out to be uniform for the most part. Found some odd lengths of 3x3-ish boards, dug them into the ground so they ended up being level. Two went to form a "tent" as the support posts to a canopy, 3 pieces of wood already hinged together. Makes a nice triangle shaped rainy day shed. One of the supports doubled as something to staple rabbit wire to, to give center support. The third went to the middle of the far end, as support there.
So two sides are pretty much done, and totally predator proof! Unless the coons bring crowbars, and they're like 200 pounds... they're not getting in there.
Going to "landscape" the sides once I'm done with scrap concrete chunks... there's a pile from when we took out some exterior steps, would make digging under the runner boards impossible. The rock junks go from small to large, so they should stack nicely and even look halfway decent.
Was going to use the smallest concrete pieces as drainage in the low corner, before I put the sand down.
So far it looks like I'll have to buy sand, hinges and latch for the gate, poultry netting for the roof... and that should be it.
Should have enough rabbit wire left over to make a hinged door for the run entrance, so that I can put them up if needed, or kick them out for coop cleaning.
I think it would have been easier to draw out a plan, built to suit the lengths of board chosen for minimal cutting, buy a premade gate. But this way it's like a puzzle, rummaging through the scrap piles for something that'll work.
It's even level, sturdy as heck... quite proud of myself being a girl and all. Better than the cage I built... that looked like boy scout project gone wrong with no parental help. LOL I've since learned what a measuring tape is for.
And I'll tell you what, using a manual post hole digger sure will tire out the arms and shoulders!
Included was a king size bed frame, with nice 2x12x8 runners, and the metal corner brackets still on! Perfect for affixing to the building.
Dug some thick fence posts into the corners, 5ft tall was left exposed, smaller than a telephone pole, but same concept. Hammered the bed rails to those. Got a roll of rabbit wire out of the basement, just long enough to do the perimeter with about 4 ft to spare. Also had 2 1x7's, which were stained the same color as the rails.. they went top and bottom on the end. Rabbit wire between them. Found a 1x9, hammered that to one side, leaving the other side open for some kind of gate. Haven't "designed" that yet.
But the scrap has come out to be uniform for the most part. Found some odd lengths of 3x3-ish boards, dug them into the ground so they ended up being level. Two went to form a "tent" as the support posts to a canopy, 3 pieces of wood already hinged together. Makes a nice triangle shaped rainy day shed. One of the supports doubled as something to staple rabbit wire to, to give center support. The third went to the middle of the far end, as support there.
So two sides are pretty much done, and totally predator proof! Unless the coons bring crowbars, and they're like 200 pounds... they're not getting in there.
Going to "landscape" the sides once I'm done with scrap concrete chunks... there's a pile from when we took out some exterior steps, would make digging under the runner boards impossible. The rock junks go from small to large, so they should stack nicely and even look halfway decent.
Was going to use the smallest concrete pieces as drainage in the low corner, before I put the sand down.
So far it looks like I'll have to buy sand, hinges and latch for the gate, poultry netting for the roof... and that should be it.
Should have enough rabbit wire left over to make a hinged door for the run entrance, so that I can put them up if needed, or kick them out for coop cleaning.
I think it would have been easier to draw out a plan, built to suit the lengths of board chosen for minimal cutting, buy a premade gate. But this way it's like a puzzle, rummaging through the scrap piles for something that'll work.
It's even level, sturdy as heck... quite proud of myself being a girl and all. Better than the cage I built... that looked like boy scout project gone wrong with no parental help. LOL I've since learned what a measuring tape is for.
And I'll tell you what, using a manual post hole digger sure will tire out the arms and shoulders!
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