Has anyone ever commited homicide while building their coop?

[WillsMama93]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. You all took a situation that was causing me to quite frankly lose my mind, and made me laugh about it! I just kept thinking the whole time we were working on it, "All those pictures of families pitching in and helping each other to build the coop, all the smiles, and the sense of accomplishment, why can't we have that? Why does my coop building experience have to be so Arrgghh!!" Now I know that I'm not alone.. and everyone has had theur own coop misadventures!
I will say it was nice to look out in the backyard this morning as I headed out to work, and at least see a frame with paneling on the sides. It did rain last night, and although all the extra lumber was covered with a tarp, the two pieces of paneling that were cut for the back of the coop and the floor were left leaning up against a tree, unpainted side up... sigh.. I am praying that God grants me the serenity to recut those pieces if they do warp.

I am also thankful that I decided to build larger than needed (for now) so that when I get more chickens, I'll have room, and not have to do this all over, at least for a few more months.

Maybe we need a new t-shirt for the BYC store.. "I survived coop construction" with a picture of happy chickens, and a bandaged chicken addict with frazzled hair, and a dribble of drool coming from their slacked jaw...

Ohh, and BTW.. my neighbors got to see me in RARE form this weekend.. none of my clothes matched, dripping wet with sweat, looking like a hot mess! And I could have cared less!!

Thanks again guys!!! You all are great! XOXOXO

 

[dixygirl]

And thank you Willsmama93. I thought i was the only one that went through frustration to get something done. I see pictures of families smiling on here working together and that made me feel totally different and alone. If i ask for any help you would think i asked him to murder his mama. For the next few weeks I risk having a stroke or a heart attack from all the fussing that ensues. Either that or i totally lose my voice from yelling. I am still sick now from the last coop we built.

The fact is I AM THE BRAINS in anything that is done and he is the muscle. If i try to make him feel good and not correct his errors, I will waste all the supplies and have to buy over again. His egotistic attitude REFUSES to let me point out anything at all. So the errors are made and then re fixed and refixed again amid fighting and yelling. He plays the devil's advocate with all my plans but instead of having a nice exchange of ideas, he starts yelling at the top of his lungs and arguing... No nice exchange of ideas and analysis here. Nothing like the nice family pictures on here. More like a scene from hell.

So thank you for assuring me i am not the only one that goes through this.

 

[2 Beauts]

Now, my DH and I built our coop together. I alone built the roosts, both in and out, a huge feeder from a picture I saw on here, rigged the hen door to be able to open from outside the run, and took care of the sheet of vinyl flooring. For us, making sure we're on the same page of how it should be done makes it much easier. I worked for Lowe's for a very long time and have a lot of knowledge of how to build things, but, my idea of how to do it may not always be right, or the same as his, so, we take a few minutes and discuss what goes next. Plus, at the start of the project we look each other in the eye, kiss, and apologize to each other for anything that might be said during the course of the day! It's not personal, it's just the frustration from the day.

If, however, it's going to cause that big of an issue, you're better off just doin' it yourself. If you already have the tools in the garage, take them out one by one, and learn how to use them. Anyone can learn. The biggest issue is measeure, measure, measure!!!! Think things through. If nothing else, go to the hardware store, pick up some scrap lumber, and practice using the saw.

Yes, your arms might get sore from hammering. Yes, you'll be sweaty. Yes, there are times, you'll be down right P O'd! But, when I'm finished building something, the sense of accomplishment is very statisfying.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

As I read through the first page, I was also thinking we need a shirt that has something like, "I built a chicken coop and I survived!" on it.

Maybe we should be looking at some type of plaque that can be hung on the coop? That could be popular.

I might need one to hang on last year's chicken tractor...

 

[DawnSuiter]

I just have to pitch in here too. My DH and I realized 7 years ago while remodeling some apartments for a lady that we should NOT work together at all in anything construction related. We did well for a long time, splitting projects, him electrical/plumbing/yard related and me with any nurturing, animal care, woodworking/building & of course finances.

We managed to buy an old run down house, completely trashed & turn it into a gem, but there were so many projects we never GOT to work together on any of them, and boy did that work out well.

Now we build a hen house and it's a complete disaster at times. We KNOW we shouldn't work together, but when there isn't anything for him to work on, he just "has" to chip in and TAKE OVER MY PROJECT & TELL ME EVERYTHING I"M DOING ISN"T GOING TO WORK OR IS TOTALLY STUPID of me. Now I hate being treated like a naive girl, really I do. I worked as a subcontractor and jr. carpenter for 2 years in earthquake ridden S. Cal. I KNOW how to build sturdy & to last and he has almost NO building experience. His attitude is careless & without regard to paying for stupid mistakes, replacing lumber/hardware, trying futily to drive screws in until the head is stripped and you have to use pliers to REMOVE ALL THE SCREWS ON THE EAST FACING WALL After he goes to work.

anyway, we nearly killed eachother many times. SEVERAL days were a COMPLETE waste and I threw in the towl for the day many times as early as 10am! Somedays we only just got the tools OUT before I quit and told him to leave MY HEN HOUSE ALONE. It was awfully hard to get through, but once the walls were up, he took over the roof (I don't do roofs) and all was well again. I got back to working on the other stuff, he did his things, and it all flowed again.

The moral of my story is... So long as we don't work on the same thing at the same time, we work well together!

We've been married for 10 years, and love eachother DEARLY.

 

[2 Beauts]

Body.....
I so know what you mean! I don't tell him or second guess him on how to network thousands of dollars worth of computers together, don't come along and tell me how to frame a freakin' wall! Sheesh, when I was helping do the materials list for an 18 bedroom house, that guy didn't doubt me.


Oh, and our 17 year anniversary is next weekend. : )

 

[d.k]

* Well, I don't need any fantasy examples of togetherness. My parents built an entire house, 2 story log home AND barn/ workshop AND run a resturant together just the two of them, and I can't for the life of me figure out how they do it without wanting to skin each other alive. I KNOW at times they drive one another batty, I hear all about it!!

 

[WillsMama93]

One of my favorite phrases from this weekend was- "I know that cut's not straight, but it's ok... we can pull it together when we put the braces on...."

Then, when we got the whole thing framed out, and my dad said "Ohh, wait.. this isn't coming together like it should" Well, duh!!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Daddy with all my heart, and I adore him for being willing to come up to my house every morning and help me with this project. I just wish he would have trusted my plans and judgement a little more.

As for my darling son.. he's a city boy that has been spoiled, and that's my fault.. I'm ready to send him to work for the rest of the summer with my cousin who is a lawn/landscape guy.

I'm going to take some pics when I get home, and document the completion of this coop, so everyone can see the good, the bad, and the ugly, LOL. But I know it's all worth it.. can't wait to get some fresh eggs from my chickens to say "Thanks lady for this great coop"

 

[AngieChick]

My hubby said I could get chickens if I made the coop. Which I did, thank you. I worked on it for 2 weeks from 9-9 every day, redoing nestboxes, pulling off siding I just put up, recutting lumber. But he wasn't there, and I didn't feel dumb at all! I love him, but he will take over a project so fast, and end up "advising" me, which, as I am a stubborn brat, drives me nuts! He did build the run for me, which he did over a weekend that I was gone. Some friends of mine thought he was very mean for not helping me, I had to explain that leaving me alone while I worked on it was the best thing he could have done for me. Even if I was sweaty, cut up, bruised and seriously grouchy. Independent projects can be the key to a happy marriage.....I'm glad to see that we are in good company, those smiling happy coop building pictures were totally not my reality. But, I am so proud now that it's done and cute! A little paint can do wonders.... Good luck to you, you'll get it done, it just may not be on the schedule you originally had in mind.

 

[d.k]

* WillsMama93, when your chickens say that, be sure and get it on tape and send me a copy, 'kay??