Helpful hints for building coops

[jvls1942]

got 18 yards of granite today. an hour and a half I had the water holes all filled in and the driveway graded smooth. the driveway is about 300 feet long. I had him dump about 5 yards on a stock pile for touch up later on. some of the deep water holes got kind of soupy/muddy ish.. I will add more granite to them as they dry up..
Ollie ran very nice for me. twas nice to have the power steering working 100% again.
.....jiminwaUSAu.........

 

[aart]

got 18 yards of granite today. an hour and a half I had the water holes all filled in and the driveway graded smooth. the driveway is about 300 feet long. I had him dump about 5 yards on a stock pile for touch up later on. some of the deep water holes got kind of soupy/muddy ish.. I will add more granite to them as they dry up..
Ollie ran very nice for me. twas nice to have the power steering working 100% again.
.....jiminwaUSAu.........

Jeally....wish I could fix my own driveway.

 

[jvls1942]

I wish I could fix your driveway, too. Maybe if you moved in next door to me ??
....jiminwaUSAu.......

 

[U_Stormcrow]

WOW!!!! I wish 18 yards would do my driveway. I dropped 18 tons of RCB for the floor of my barn - then moved it all with a shovel and my back. Can't imagine doing 400'+ of the deeply rutted sand and clay i describe as a "driveway" in that fashion.

 

[aart]

I wish I could fix your driveway, too. Maybe if you moved in next door to me ??
....jiminwaUSAu.......

If I lived next door I'd ask to borrow your tractor

 

[U_Stormcrow]

^^^ SAME. and I'd pay in decent beer, since we both have chickens, I have little else to barter.

 

[jvls1942]

I would let you both borrow Ollie. He is fun to drive.
I don't have chickens any more. so eggs and poop are good bartering products. I actually miss the poop for the garden more than I miss the eggs.
I don't know what RCB is.?
....jiminwaUSAu.....

 

[U_Stormcrow]

"RCB" is "Recycled Concrete Base". Here in FL, the whole state is essentially a sand bar, so crumbled up concrete from old things now torn down is a much more economical alternative for fill, etc than any rock or gravel alternative. If you use a vibratory compactor, or drive over it a bunch, it packs down pretty hard, too.

Used to be, you could buy oyster shell in commercial qauntities, and use that - very popular for driveways- but that's no longer the case.

 

[aart]

I actually miss the poop for the garden more than I miss the eggs.

I could give you a whole raft of ....poop!

If you use a vibratory compactor, or drive over it a bunch, it packs down pretty hard, too.

Wonders how that would hold up to freezing temps and snow plowing/throwing?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

well, its FL. We don't see many freezes, certainly no deep freezes. The stuff is used as road base everywhere (admittedly, thicker, compacted in layers), so its got some durability. That said, our big problems with cracking come from shallow roots growing under the edges, then growing thicker with time. Crumbles it right up. Just like regular concrete (only worse), its strong in compression, but very weak in extension. Though repairs are quick - wet it down to control the dust and re-compact it. Done.