Helpful hints for building coops

[CapricornFarm]

This build is down and dirty! I don't care if anything is plumb or level. The ground is fairly sloped. My main concern is security, making sure varmints can't get in.
The song in my head today: Money for nothing, chicks for free...I want my MTV!
Someone mentioned using pig rings to attach the cattle panels to the fencing, they are awesome and work perfect!

 

[CapricornFarm]

I also added carbingers to hold the cattle panels and fencing together until i get the pig rings on. I use three carbingers on each end of the cattle panel, then remove and reuse them once the pig rings are done.

You can see a pig ring, looks like copper. Also the clothes line i am using to lash the cattle panels together. (Green wire) you can't see it in the picture but the cattle panels overlap the t posts and each other to hold them in place. The fencing is on the outside of the t posts to help resist predators.

 

[CapricornFarm]

In this picture you can see how i hooked the panel to the welded wire temporarily. It really helps to have some one assist on this part. Husband volunteered. One side of the panel goes inside the fencing and is secured. Then the other side is brought up and in. The last panel needs to have fencing on it before it goes up. That panel will not have roofing over it. So the fencing is needed to stop intruders. This coop will have a hardware cloth apron and hardware cloth up the side a foot on the long sides to deter digging under. Both ends will have a row of pallets, with a sheet of plywood above . One end will have a walk in door with a window. There should be room at the top of each end for ventilation. Of course that area will need to be covered with wire. Now to get that shower and try to sleep.

 

[jvls1942]

You sure are making quick work out of that pen.
I would like to see a picture of your bulging muscles.

I got the ridge cap on. cut a length of aluminum roll stock 11 feet long. marked down the center the long way and creased it.
tried crawling up the 6/12 roof. that was not going to happen.
so I brought the tractor up and raised the loader up to the edge of the roof. set an extension ladder in the bucket and laid it flat on the roof. now I had stairs all the way to the top.
the big drawback was the hip pain afterwards
I had to spread my knees to rest them on the rails of the ladder. that really aggravated my arthritic hips.
I can hardly walk today. It didn't hit me until a couple of hours later.
at any rate, the ridge turned out perfect.

today is potato digging day. I hope I can push the clutch on the tractor with this sore hip.

guess I will go make a pot o coffee.
.......jiminwisc.......

 

[CapricornFarm]

Jim , I hope you didn't do any permanent damage!
Take it easy. The potatoes can wait. Maybe try some linament on that hip.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Husband and i chewed over the details for the end where the door will be . I have been lashing welded wire to the last cattle panel. One more piece of wire to lash on.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Here is the latest photo of the build:

Day 4 i think it is.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Here is the latest on the goat shed:

 

[jvls1942]

Hi all,
my hip is better. still sore,
I arranged 5 teeth on the tool bar for digging
potatoes. I got half of them dug and then the
picker quit. She said that is enough for one day.

looks like a dry day yet tomorrow, so I will
have another go at it.

the goat shed is finally looking like a shed.

the guy doing the goat shed should hire you.

........jiminwisc......

 

[CapricornFarm]

Hey Jim, Glad your hip is a bit better. I was just getting on a roll on my hoop coop and the darned sun sunk over the horizon. But tomorrow is another day. I really need to do some housework.