Helpful hints for building coops

[Ponypoor]

I am currently building my biggest coop ever and thought about how many newbies are trying to build their first coop ever. Thinking of all you struggling to learn the use of tools and with questions on your mind about planning, i thought it would be helpful to share what i have learned and let others do the same. Even small tips can ease frustration in the building process. If you just want to share pictures of your progress, have at it. Let's share and encourage each other.
The usual back yard chicken rules apply. Please play nice, no need to be rude. Everyone has to learn sometime . Welcome to my coop building thread.

Great idea!

 

[Ponypoor]

To budget HOURS in the hardware section trying to figure out the difference between one type of nail/screw and another.

Don’t use nails - always use screws. They hold better and are easier to remove if you need to fix something.

(I loooove the hardware store )

 

[Ponypoor]

it looks like the frost season is over.
our blackberries are not blossoming at all,. they do this every few years.
however, out mulberry tree is setting berries.
first time since I planted it 8 years ago.
the apple, pear and plum trees have dropped all of their blossoms. the elderberries are just starting to blossom. the joy of living up nort.
I dragged the garden once more for good measure
then got the corn planter ready and it started to rain. 2 hours earlier than predicted,. we got 6/10 of an inch. not good for planting, the good for the raised beds.

My pears trees are showing their pears, and looks like plums also. Apples are a dime a dozen here…. Grow wild on the road side! Unfortunately looks like my Peach trees were hit by frost a few weeks ago. No peaches this year.

Asian Pears

 

[jvls1942]

ponypoor, sorry about your peaches.,
i am too far north for peaches.
i haven't checked the trees to see if fruit is set/
it rains a little and some times a lot every day.
if i ever want to get the corn planted i might just have to broadcast the seed. too muddy to use the planter
but the raised beds are doing very nicely/
I have a lot of ideas about how a coop should be built/ too late in life to do a new coop,.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Keeping quite busy going to the ceramics studio in Danville twice a week. Plus taking ticks off the dogs daily. It's especially bad this year.

 

[Sally PB]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ll-are-welcome.697050/page-5844#post-28655420
This thread has a link to what is probably Aart's obituary. She was a regular on this thread.

I miss her wisdom, her humor, and even her pithiness and occasional snark.

Fly high and free, beautiful Aart. You are very much missed here on BYC.

 

[Molpet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ll-are-welcome.697050/page-5844#post-28655420
This thread has a link to what is probably Aart's obituary. She was a regular on this thread.

I miss her wisdom, her humor, and even her pithiness and occasional snark.

Fly high and free, beautiful Aart. You are very much missed here on BYC.

Thank you for posting this. I was wondering what happened to her. I'm very sad

 

[jvls1942]

I was just thinking about Aart . wondering why she wasn't chiming in.
I used to jerk her chain about her using Philips head screws.
I will miss her.

 

[jvls1942]

we made it a whole day without rain. the sunshine really perked up the raised beds,.
I worked on the tiller for awhile. got it to fire up when I put gas in the spark plug hole,. so, we have spark,. I took the carburetor off and then it got dark out. today I will get my can of B12 carb cleaner and give it a good cleaning.
Annie found a red squirrel's tail upstairs in the garage. good kitty. the cat is not tame at all. we can't get within 30 yards from it/,. but as long as he is catching the squirrels, we love him.

 

[Molpet]

we made it a whole day without rain. the sunshine really perked up the raised beds,.
I worked on the tiller for awhile. got it to fire up when I put gas in the spark plug hole,. so, we have spark,. I took the carburetor off and then it got dark out. today I will get my can of B12 carb cleaner and give it a good cleaning.
Annie found a red squirrel's tail upstairs in the garage. good kitty. the cat is not tame at all. we can't get within 30 yards from it/,. but as long as he is catching the squirrels, we love him.

And I am praying for rain. Did get a half inch overnight and more predicted for around noon. Unfortunately maybe severe.
I hate those red pine squirrels. I seen one a couple years ago and they next spring their were 2 and then 6 littles. They were cute until they were living in the hood, ate the windshield washer lines and kept filling the fenders and engine compartment with walnuts.

This was the second time less than 12 hours from when I had took out 3 five gallon buckets full.

They all had to go. I haven't seen any since.
They are uncommon around here.