I'm going on an adventure!

[RoseHawke]

I've Let Pip and Helena out into the big pen after letting them out for 'a bit' the last couple of days. I sat out with them for a couple of hours and now I'm periodically checking the Blink cam to make sure things are okay. I had to close off their coop and pen as the Big Girls were going in after spilled feed and there it's just too easy to corner somebody. Out in the open they've occasionally been giving a short chase but there are too many things to block their eyeline so they quickly stop - "Now what was I chasing?" And, after the short visits to the run the last couple of days Pip and Helena have learned that "run" is the best reaction to the Big Girls getting close.

I had the little transition pen fixed so that the Big Girls couldn't get in but the littles could, or so I thought. Ivy was managing it. After sitting out today I watched her do it. She just about had to army crawl to get in, but she was managing. So, I put a re-bar stake down to narrow the opening. She still managed to squeeze through. So, I put down another. I came in not too long after this, so I don't know if she can still squeeze through there. I did at least verify that the littles, including the Queens, Elizabeth and Victoria, can get in, although they have to stoop a bit. There's a feeder and waterer in there that I wanted them, but not the Bigs, to be able to access.

This is Amber, hopeful that there will be mealworms, sitting on my knee. She's the boldest. Not sure if she's laying yet, there was another egg in the nestboxes this morning that looked like it was from a different pullet than presumably Rain.

 

[RoseHawke]

Mr. RoseHawke hauled an old fiberglass bass boat we've been unable to get rid of (at least someone took the non-functional engine,) back into the woods with the tractor and the chickies were very concerned. To the point that all three flocks became one for a bit. They were too concerned with the chicken monster to even think about pecking each other.

Falco made sure to keep an eye on it by stretching up tall.

 

[RoseHawke]

Getting started on the new coop. I hope to have it done within about six weeks, two months, as long as weather and other projects permit. Finalized where it's going and laid it out yesterday morning. What started out as a little 4x8 coop, then went to a 6x8, and has now settled on an 8x10. Hardly anyone ever says "I wish I'd built it smaller!" If nothing else, I figure you can always use an extra outbuilding.

These are Tuffblock "instant foundation" supports which I've never used before but after looking into it thought would do for this application. My main interest in them is they're very lightweight and no concrete is involved. Been there done that. The coop will be tied down with earth anchors. Mr. RoseHawke kindly dug out the turf. Supposedly you can put these things directly on the grass, but I'd really rather not on our clay soil. The hole in this first photo is where we dug up the remains of a half dead apple (my fruit trees are another story.)

After tamping the bottom of the hole, I put a bag of paver base in each and that was tamped as well. That was yesterday's progress.

This is the floor and foundation done in Sketchup

I would've added the Tuffblocks to the plan as well, but it appears that these days I have to subscribe to the "Sketchup Community" to access the models and I have enough subscriptions as it is. I hope today to get the bearer boards and the 4x4's situated.

 

[Folly's place]

It's going to be above ground level? How far? Will critters have space to live under it? Can't let that happen!
Otherwise, great, and it can't be too big, for sure.
Mary

 

[RoseHawke]

It's going to be above ground level? How far? Will critters have space to live under it? Can't let that happen!
Otherwise, great, and it can't be too big, for sure.
Mary

It has to be above ground level. We flood, technically this is a flood plain. This will probably end up being a couple feet off the ground, I'll know better after this morning. I don't think I have a specific photo of the skirting on the potting/she shed, but I think there's one on the previous page (#27) that shows it. What I do on these outbuildings is bevel the ends of decking 1x6's, cut to fit between the shed and the ground, put a 4x4 (or whatever I have, a piece of old decking will do,) on the ground, screw the bottom onto that board and the top into the shed band board. It ends up looking quite nice and keeps the critters out. I use 2x4 wire fencing temporarily if I need it. Won't keep rats and mice out, but it does for most of the larger stuff.

 

[Folly's place]

How about hardware cloth too?
Makes sense, and flood plains are scary! I grew up in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and seeing that FOURTEEN INCHES of rain last week, amazing, we'd all have basement swimming pools, flood plain or not!
Mary