Large, Open-Air Coop in Central NC

[3KillerBs]

Heavy rain slowed us down, but posts are in and leveled.

DH's next step is to stabilize it with boards from post to post just above ground level.

In addition to stabilizing everything, that will be the bottom support for the hardware cloth.

I still don't understand his roof plans, but he does.

 

[Sally PB]

I still don't understand his roof plans, but he does

I was in the same boat with my coop. It turned out fantastic, and I'm sure yours will too.

 

[3KillerBs]

I was in the same boat with my coop. It turned out fantastic, and I'm sure yours will too.

He's the one who came up with the idea of putting a monitor on my current coop so I trust him.

 

[3KillerBs]

No more progress yet. The rest of the fruit trees came today so instead of working on the coop tomorrow afternoon we'll be planting trees.

 

[3KillerBs]

DH didn't get as much done as he intended yesterday because he found that his stored beams had been infested with carpenter bees.

So time and money for new beams.

 

[3KillerBs]

He's taking down the one beam he'd already installed and using longer ones which, if I'm understanding right, will result in a 2-foot roof overhang on one side and a 4-foot overhang on the other. I still don't quite understand his roof plans except that the clerestory will face uphill and that he's a bit irked that he couldn't make the two roof pitches match exactly.

I think it's going to turn out wonderfully.

When we had some of the hillside graded the machine pulled up these monsterous tree roots:

Yes, they are as big or bigger than the 4x4 posts. I intend to turn them into run clutter.

 

[aart]

DH didn't get as much done as he intended yesterday because he found that his stored beams had been infested with carpenter bees.

So time and money for new beams.

Was bad enough to replace the wood?!?
You know they'll just be back to eat the new stuff.

 

[3KillerBs]

Was bad enough to replace the wood?!?
You know they'll just be back to eat the new stuff.

These weren't treated and I'm not sure how long we've had them. He bought treated and figures we can spot-spray them as they show up.

The stuff's bad enough that he wasn't willing to use it for structural purposes but we'll salvage it for other things.

The price of my year-round gardening season and winters that rarely get below 25F is the horrible-overabundance of wood-destroying insects.

 

[3KillerBs]

I made a good score in materials yesterday: A homemade dog pen at the Habitat ReStore -- PVC with 1" hardware cloth ziptied on. I paid $10 for at least $40 in materials that I can use as internal dividers in the new coop to separate the chicks from the adults and/or as a broiler pen to get them out on the grass.

It needs work, but I can easily make it useful and versatile.

Then we went to Lowes and spent way too much money on treated lumber -- it just goes up and up and up. We're both off Monday and the weather looks good so progress should happen.

 

[aart]

A homemade dog pen at the Habitat ReStore -- PVC with 1" hardware cloth ziptied on. I paid $10 for at least $40 in materials that I can use as internal dividers in the new coop to separate the chicks from the adults and/or as a broiler pen to get them out on the grass.

It needs work, but I can easily make it useful and versatile.

What, no pics?!?!?!