Has anyone ever commited homicide while building their coop?

[WillsMama93]

OK, I have looked at a million coop pages, and created my own design by gleening ideas from here and there. So I have a week off work, and decide that now is the time. So stimulus check in hand, I treck over to Home Depot with my Dad and my son, geared up and ready to build..

Supplies bought, plans in hand, let the fun begin!! WRONG!!

This 2x4 got cut too short.. this 2x2 is not going to work where we need it to.. these measurements didn't allow for the width of the 2x4 posts.. we bought way too much paneling- now where did we put that receipt?.. these 2" screws are not long enough.. go back to HD and buy 3 " screws.. these 3" screws are not sinking right when we put the paneling on.. go back to HD and get 2" nails.. no, we don't need brackets for the supports.. wait.. yes we do, head back over to Home Depot... by now, the people at HD have taken to asking me, "How's the chicken coop coming?"

And I am starting to think I could just make the cube brooder I built bigger and put it outside with a board on top to keep the rain out!! The two "men" helping me are stressing me out even more.. Dad has to make everything more complicated

, and my DS is whining that it's too hot, the grass is itchy, the coop does not look right..

So after a week, I have the frame built, 2 wall panels on.. and nothing else is done! And I have to go back to work tomorrow!!

Just wanted to put a realistic account of how painful building a coop can be.. I know I can't be the only one having this much trouble!

 

[Knight Hawk Ranch]

I feel your pain....anytime you bring a man into building something for your self, this is what you have to deal with.

You would be better off getting a girl friend to help.

Thank-fully, I have my Mom's gentleman friend(who's family raised chickens when he was a kid) who is sympathic to my chickenites and built a proper coop. DH just added on the 10 x 10 yard around it once it was set into place.

Edited to add: Anytime I want DH to build something for me, I give him exact instructions on how I WANT IT, and hope for the best. Sometimes it works and I get what I want built. It sometimes helps to show them lots of photos of the project as well.

 

[SterlingAcres]

I haven't had the luxury of building a coop with anyone yet... DH helped me make a small brooder box for the last hatch. That went smoothly... but most home improvement projects here end in nasty arguments...

Like the hardwood flooring we just installed. It's tongue and groove, what do you mean you can't bash the end with a hammer to make it fit?

Now that it's our house, it's apparently okay to do things half arsed... and that's one of my biggest pet peeves. 6 years and DH hasn't learned anything. You'd think he'd just give up and 'listen'.

 

[drom]

Quote:
AHAHAHAHAHA! I'm sorry you are having so much trouble. But your post is really very funny. It reminds me that I need to get off the laptop, go outside and try to finish mine! I have been working on it for 4 weekends and it's still not done......

 

[robinaggie]

This probably isn't what you want to hear, but this made me laugh out loud!! I examine and admire all of these beautiful coops and runs, and I even paid $35 for a set of plans I can't read. Then I plan my coop in my head. When I start planning on paper I'll probably be the first to cross over into the next life because of a chicken coop.

Hang in there. It doesn't have to be pretty or "right," it just has to shelter your birds and make THEM happy. Good luck!

 

[robinaggie]

It's tongue and groove, what do you mean you can't bash the end with a hammer to make it fit?

 

[Chirpy]

I, too, found your post quite funny (sorry).

Last year when my husband (who is a contractor and great handyman) was building our first coop he had so many things go wrong (long story - he was stressed before he started) that he walked into the house one night and said: "I want the chickens gone by tomorrow. I don't care if you give them away, eat them or throw them outside to fend for themselves!" He as so angry with the continual problems on the coop.

He did calm down and tell me I could keep the chicks and continued to almost finish the coop. Last fall I caught him standing at the door looking at the chicken coop. I asked him what he was thinking. He said: "if we get more chickens next spring so we can have more eggs, I'm going to have to build onto that coop. I think I'll just turn the roof and add onto the West side." I was so happy but I totally kept my calm and said, "if that's what you want to do honey, I'll help all I can."

So - the moral of this little story ... this too shall pass and the chickens are really worth it!! Next year, you'll ready to build on and face those issues again.

 

[coffeelady3]

I didn't find myself having any homicidal tendencies, but I did almost amputate both my legs with hardware cloth! OUCH!

 

[orchidchick]

Willsmama,

I don't mean to be entertained at your frustration, but I think your mistake was trying to cram the coop building into a week.... try thinking more of it in three month time frames and you will feel like "man, I am blowing this thing thing away!"if it takes anything less.! Honestly, I had a very simple modification of a mostly built cattle feeder that took over a month (actually maybe two) due to weather,my physical health, the sun was in my eyes....etc.etc. Remember....this is a way of life; now that I am done with this coop I thought I would feel this tremendous sense of relief, but unbeknownst to me, there was a transformation going on....I am now an addict............Now, I can only see how it can be improved on..or added on...or built next to....
So Enjoy and drag out every moment! I am not sure it ends with this coop!

Or: Coop building is like labor.... you will forget it all for the wonderful joy of you very own flock!

Or: You will be serving life....and saying to yourself "what was it about those chickens???"

Orchidchick

 

[nccountrygirl]

No but it was close, I sure wanted to kill my husband while he was building it.