Micro Farm Coop Worklog [UPDATE: SHINGLES ON - PAGE 27]

[birdlovin gal]

It's good to see your helper has recovered, I was worried!

 

[DarkWolf]

Quote:
Too late.. Paint's down..

The fan dried the floor fine over night and I moved it around to make sure other areas were all dry as well.

Not sure about cold weather paint, but as far as humid.. Just needs a longer dry time to cure.. This stuff is dry to the touch in 8 hours and fully cured by 24 hours, though I'm letting it go for 48 before I let the birds back in and put shavings in.

Quote:
WooT!

Hope they do well.. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll catch a game on TV.

 

[DarkWolf]

Checked the floor paint early this morning to see if it needed any touchups and it was fine, with a good even coat and dry to the touch. Roughly 18 hours since it was painted so I went ahead and added pine chips in for the birds.

The porch paint soaked in really well and covered all the little nooks in the OSB.

The chickens really enjoyed being back out in the coop and had fun scratching about the floor.. I need to pick up more shavings though so I can get a nice layer down.

There's about an inch of shavings in the back, and just a dusting in the front.. No biggy though, they don't mind the floor color.

Rooster boy checking out his temp roost. It's one of two tacked up in the corners.

Nice group shot of the BR and Sexlinks.

Rest of the weekend was spent on yard work... Since it's been raining so much I NEEDED to get the grass mowed... Sadly, the mower deck is half broken so instead of mowing 42" wide, it's only 21"... Still better than mowing by hand though.

 

[PacsMan]

Quote:
Dark Wolf,
A question on porch paint. I've seen is mentioned around BYC a lot, but out west it seems no one has heard of it. (IE: A search on "porch paint" at Home Depot and Lowe’s web sites return nothing.) I’m assuming it’s just really thick paint. Can you give me a few other names it might go by? I'm thinking I might do porch paint instead of linoleum on my next project.

Marty

 

[DarkWolf]

Valspar Oil Gloss Porch & Floor Paint...

http://www.valspar.com/products/product/Oil_Porch_and_Floor_Exterior_Paint.html

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

I love your coop and your chicks. The coop looks great and the chicks are so cute.

It's been raining Cats and Dogs this past week too. The ground is going to have to dry for a few days before I can get the rest of the garden plowed. I planted my Brocoli plants, peppers, some squash and a few other plants in my flower beds around the house. At least it's helping my Blueberrys bushes and my Rose bushes. I planted my Blueberry berrys this past fall and there's alot of green Blueberrys on them. Mulberrys galore on the Mulberry tree and the Strawberry plants are doing terrific.

 

[DarkWolf]

That's basically what we did too, to get plants out... I whipped up a few [4] raised beds though measuring in at 4'x10'x6"... Tossed a single layer of cardboard in the bottom and seeded them up.. They're all full of plants now.. Heck, even tried potatoes.. Though I don't expect much from them at that depth.

I've really got to get my blueberry plants in the ground.. I've got 12 sitting in pots that were discounted @ Wal*Mart. Seems Wal*Mart and Lowes bought too many this year.. Last year they were gone in a flash.

I'm going to stake out where the run will be and line the back with blueberry bushes. Figure if it grows up against the run, will just be a treat for the birds.. Else I can pluck a handful and toss them in for them..

My Day Neutral strawberries from last year are insanely big and doing great in their two tier raised bed. Dang near overflowing and covered with young fruit.. Can't wait.. Though my 3 year old typically picks it bare and eats them on the spot. Also have 25 more June bearing I set out this year in one of the 4x10 raised beds which are doing fair.

Still waiting on that dry time as well so we can get the main bed done.. I'll definitely have to run the little tiller down to make rows loose enough for the seeder to run through it.

 

[brandytab]

What a great idea re: the blueberries! You've got me thinking now.....

There was a bush I was thinking of planting (could get it at a good price) - the American Cranberry. We don't eat it, but it's a great bird treat and, well, we're birdie addicts! So, if I planted those close to the run (I wonder if one can be planted in the run?), it would be a treat for birdies and chickens. Hmmmmm....

 

[Pitchfork]

I read on this forum somewhere that the old timers used 80 sq. ft. per bird of range space in order to protect the soil from too much nitrogen so I made my run 20x32 and enclosed a crabapple tree and a forcithia (spell) bush and the chickens love to lay under both. They have picked the forcithia clear of leaves as far up as they can reach and it makes a great shade. I think I will try the blueberry thing as well along the back of the run. Love the coop BTW. Made mine too small thinking these four chickens would be enough. Ha!
Don't want to get off topic but I got my cabbages and brocolli in early along with onions and pototoes and then it started raining and as not let up here in Oklahoma for four weeks, so no squash, mellons or beans in the ground yet and it will soon be 100 in the shade I am sure. I have five tomato plants in large planters setting out in the garden and they look great with blooms already on a couple.
Again love the coop keep the pictures coming.

 

[tdgill]

nice floor paint!!! looks heavy duty

i got stuff to learn about paint