I finally did it!!

[ShrekDawg]

Gator's food got here. and the heating pad yesterday as mentioned. now that everything's here I might go try to get the wire and start with the frame. We're also getting the pallets later. Were supposed to get them yesterday after work but my dad had to work way later and got home at like 7:30. He drive my mom to and from her new job (11-2, he picked her up at 3 from a different store) and then left at like 4:30 or sooner with the bathroom guy and they looked at the bathroom for like an hour then he just stayed over there till like 7:30. My mom told me he'd probably be back in an hour so I didn't call him. But he never called and told me either, which I was mad about especially because he said we could after the bathroom guy left, plus he usually never works late even if he misses, but oh well, guess he had to. He did offer to go right then and I wanted to but I don't know, it was already dark and he can't drive the humvee in the dark so we would have had to have taken the truck (an ancient Avalanche) and not that many would fit in there I don't think so I decided not to. Offered yesterday to go this morning but I declined. But hopefully we'll go after work, at a normal time like 5 or 6

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wow sorry that turned into rambles lol

 

[ShrekDawg]

Got some pallets. all the ones in the big pile though were too big. but I may come back eventually with the huge vehicle and get some. Though I think the ones we have are good. My dad thought the one is a "premade chicken coop" and it is really nice but it's far too small for 9 adults but may make a good brooder and/or as adults we can connect two. Although my dad seems to think full sized adults can fit through those holes to go into any added on section lol he wouldn't let me get the one inside the crate but I made him anyway because it's like the best wood there and was way lighter than the others. I don't think we really got that many to build the coop though. We really should get more but he might not take me back so idk. Anyway, I think we got a lot or a good amount. Who knows though.

 

[ShrekDawg]

^^ this one was particle board.

Half to show these awesome things (wish we could take em lol) and half to show awesome sky aha

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I would love to get pallets to build me a coop. Lol

 

[ShrekDawg]

You should! All we did was drop some clothes off at a place the other day then drive around back while my mom was shopping, noticed all the pallets, and came back the next day. They have them so many places. Mostly only places that get lots of big things shipped and merchandise, a grocery store isn't likely to have them. We got ours from a discount store/bargain place and a tile shop. Someone recently suggested corrugated steel shops or plastic shops and garage door repair places. I've had success on Craigslist too but they were all at least an hour away so we didn't go with those but plenty if places have them. These were free and most are but on Craigslist I know at least one place charged like $2 a pallet. Still super cheap obviously but frees better lol

 

[Poultrybonkers]

You should! All we did was drop some clothes off at a place the other day then drive around back while my mom was shopping, noticed all the pallets, and came back the next day. They have them so many places. Mostly only places that get lots of big things shipped and merchandise, a grocery store isn't likely to have them. We got ours from a discount store/bargain place and a tile shop. Someone recently suggested corrugated steel shops or plastic shops and garage door repair places. I've had success on Craigslist too but they were all at least an hour away so we didn't go with those but plenty if places have them. These were free and most are but on Craigslist I know at least one place charged like $2 a pallet. Still super cheap obviously but frees better lol

Seen them free on cl to but i dont have a car or a licence.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Aww that really sucks. I actually don't have my license either but my dad took me to get them. Maybe you could find a family member or friend to take you?

 

[bruceha2000]

And that's very true haha I just figured it would probably get gross being in with the chickens? It could probably be washed though and either way it'd be under something anyway. I should probably get rid of the lamp, got it before I found this method haha and that's good the wire will work.

Most people put the heating pad in some sort of cloth cover. An old pillowcase, a big enough towel or even something purpose made to keep it clean. And since you connect it to the underside of the wire frame, the only way they can poop on it is from the top. No reason you can't put another towel or something on top of the frame to keep the pad "case" clean.

With regard to the run in the woods. The run will need structure to hold it up. The dog kennel posts need to go in the ground. You could make the cattle panel coop with rebar driven into the ground to keep the bottom frame in place but you would still need to deal with the "anti dig" apron and I can't imagine you could do that easily with all the "near the surface" roots.

You could maybe use bricks for "anti dig" but I suspect they would be very easy for a dog to move out of the way just in the attempt to dig.

Just out of curiosity: I'm really surprised that your garage is so close to the lot line on a 3 acre lot. Is there a lot of ledge or something that made other locations unsuitable for the house? People usually try to stay as far as they can from neighboring houses if they have a lot big enough to do it.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Most people put the heating pad in some sort of cloth cover. An old pillowcase, a big enough towel or even something purpose made to keep it clean. And since you connect it to the underside of the wire frame, the only way they can poop on it is from the top. No reason you can't put another towel or something on top of the frame to keep the pad "case" clean.

With regard to the run in the woods. The run will need structure to hold it up. The dog kennel posts need to go in the ground. You could make the cattle panel coop with rebar driven into the ground to keep the bottom frame in place but you would still need to deal with the "anti dig" apron and I can't imagine you could do that easily with all the "near the surface" roots.

You could maybe use bricks for "anti dig" but I suspect they would be very easy for a dog to move out of the way just in the attempt to dig.

Just out of curiosity: I'm really surprised that your garage is so close to the lot line on a 3 acre lot. Is there a lot of ledge or something that made other locations unsuitable for the house? People usually try to stay as far as they can from neighboring houses if they have a lot big enough to do it.

That makes sense and it probably won't get too dirty then

I kind of forgot the dog kennel would need to be put in the ground honestly ha although it's not really technically in the woods, just near them, so maybe there'd be less roots? I'm actually thinking maybe we should move it more towards the left and away from those two pine trees because first of all, it's hard to dig like you said, and second of all, those yellow flags in the yard are actually the gas line so it's probably not a good idea to dig there or put the chickens right over it - wouldn't want them scratching through.

And you're probably right about the bricks, I forgot they were so light. I'm sure we could find something else though.

As for the house, I'm really not sure honestly. It's actually been here a while, built in the 70s I think?, we moved in like '96, so it was like that but the thing is the actual yard is probably only an acre, maybe a bit more, and we own a lot of the woods, so that's part of it. But I think the main reason is it's right on a hill, I'll try to get a picture