My Chicken Coop Nightmare

[Wise Woman]

This whole thing just keeps getting worse. Here's the recap. 3 years ago we moved into a 1946 mountain cottage. It needs total redoing and we are doing it as we can afford it. In order to save time and money, we put our mini goats and our chickens into a very nice shed that was already on the property. Hubby quickly fenced off a pen and things have been ok. The plan was to eventually build a new coop and to let our small herd of goats die out.

So we are down to two 14 year old goats, and we decided the time has come to build that new coop. Plan A was to put it in the back yard (which is very small). We scratched that because we would rather have a nice deck for entertaining and eating outside back there.

Plan B. Build a long, all in one coop/run along the side of our property. Husband decided he didn't like that idea and that area would look better as a garden. Okey dokey. Now keep in mind we have a very long, narrow property and there really aren't a lot of choices for coop location. Plus I need it to be easy to get into which it currently is not due to the uncovered run.

Plan C. Build a new coop and run in the current animal pen. Ok, this will work fine as the pen is 24' long and wide so plenty of room. The rest will eventually be a raised bed garden once the goats are gone. We were going to start the coop last weekend.

Not. Husband decided he should build our wood storage area first. Ok. What to use as a floor? The pavers from our current side walk of course! So I go out and he has removed our entire side walk and made a floor for the wood shed. Now what do we do for a side walk. El Nino is coming and we now have no sidewalk.

No problem. He will lay a new one. Sounds simple enough but with old houses one thing leads to another and another and before you know it you have to do several other projects before you can do the one you want to do. The new sidewalk has to go in a straight line past the animal pen in order to reach our door. Husband now discovers by actually measuring that the fencing he installed for the animal pen is not straight (duh) and has to be moved. No problem he says. He'll just move it over so it's straight. Ok.

So yesterday we get a monsoon storm and as per usual, the water in the back yard has no where to drain to and comes up over our current patio. I have been telling husband for 3 years now that we need to address this issue before bigger problems develop. No response. Yesterday he comes home from work in the middle of this downpour and watches the water backing up and decides we now have to do something about this before winter and before he lays the new sidewalk. Ok.

So now my chicken coop has dropped down the list behind the wood shed, moving the fence, installing rain gutters and some sort of drainage and laying new sidewalk.

Oh and we were hoping to get the house painted before winter as will. That's a joke. I am beginning to wonder if I am ever going to get my new coop. We only have about 3 to 4 more months of building weather and if El Nino hits, maybe less. I didn't want to spend another winter schlepping through a mud hole into the coop, but this is not looking good. I realize all these issues must be addressed, but I really wanted my new chicken coop this summer.

Thanks for reading this. I just needed to fuss at someone. I know husband is trying very hard and doing what needs done, but some days I just wish all this remodeling, repairing and re-doing was done and over with.

 

[redsix]

Practice taking deep breaths and be patient.

 

[yellowchicks]

More than a year ago, we had a leak in our guest bathroom ceiling, had the roofer fixed it for the n-th time. Finally, we decided to demolish the entire bathroom to redo it ourselves. We like to do everything DIY.

Then my son brought home 4 little chicks 14 months ago, we dropped all other house projects to build a coop all summer and tend to the chickens all winter. Next thing you know, our bathroom remained dismantled and so was the attached guest bedroom for more than a year. Our friends and families are mad at us because we have no space for overnight guests or in-law visits (not a bad thing IMHO). Anyway, no one could understand how can chicken's habitat comes before human's. So this summer, we are sweating the heat and give up all weeknights and weekends to fix the bathroom. It has been one thing after another as "This Old House" owners would know about "scope creep".

I was picking out new wall colors, furniture, and new bedding for the guest bedroom, figure now is the time to remodel the room. Then I looked at my poor hubby working like a dog, I decided sometimes, somethings are good enough as they are. I mean the room....ok and the hubby, too.

Your husband sounds very handy, can do just about anything....if he has more time. You are extremely lucky! Since your chickens and goats have a current home already, maybe push the new coop project back a bit, so to reduce some stress for both of you. The new coop will happen since you are going to have chickens for a long time anyway, it's just probably not this summer.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

What is wrong with where your chickens are now, sounds like they are fine, my shed isn't the prettiest thing, but it's functional, the funny part is my husband wants to fix it up, I tell him to leave it alone. Things happen as they are supposed to, I agree, be patient, gives you more time to plan and change things.

 

[Wise Woman]

Thanks for the advice everyone. He has now decided to rip out the patio as well and put in a new deck since he has to do the sidewalk anyway. No, he isn't that handy, but since we bought this fixer upper cottage 4 years ago, he has had to learn a lot as our budget doesn't stretch to buying the materials and paying someone to do the work. The problem is he won't plan for projects. He only does things when the mood strikes him which makes it difficult to for me to save up for projects. I think we need x amount of dollars for this and then he comes along and decides to do that and I am not supposed to complain.

As for patience, I have plenty. We bought this house in 2011 and I still have no baseboards, trim or closet doors because he doesn't like doing trim work or dealing with doors. Our front door does not open currently and he will not fix that either. Our demolished bathroom is still demolished and I have no idea when that will be done, if ever. I have a medical condition that requires me to have some form of heat each day so I would be grateful for a bathtub to soak in, but even that does not spur him into action. We are all using a small 3/4 bathroom in my daughter's bedroom. Since we are in a Stage Two water alert, I cannot stand under a hot shower for the length of time I need to. So I am just outta luck since I don't know anyone with a hot tub or sauna that I could use.

The outside living room wall we had to remove and rebuild still has no shingles on it or light fixtures installed. While I appreciate all the work he does do, he spends many many weekends doing nothing because he isn't in the mood when he could do one or two smaller things. Then all of a sudden, bam. He decides to do projects that I haven't budgeted for. I am a planner and so this makes me nuts!

The chickens are quite fine in their current home, however, they are in a very expensive shed that is supposed to be my husband's work shop. It was temporary because he didn't get the coop built in 2011 or in 2012. He did nothing to the house at all in 2013 or 2014. He complains that he has no where to work on things, but until he builds the new coop, I can't get the chickens out of his shed. I have re-homed all but 2 of my goats at his insistence and now only have my two old girls, who I will not re-home at this stage of their lives. They are almost 15 and I am sure they won't be around that much longer anyway. But moving the chickens into their own coop would at least give him half of his shed back.

Also the run is wide open and come winter, it is going to be a mud pit and he will complain about having to shovel it out when it snows. We have to shovel half the run out just to get to the shed. Plus it is very difficult for me to schlep water from our house, through the muddy run and into the goats and chickens. They are calling for an El Nino this year as well, which means the chickens will not be able to go outside for long stretches of time. They can go in the goat house, but my husband hates straw and refuses to put anything down in the run for them to walk on, so they won't go out in the snow and mud. Plus, he works in the propane industry and winter is his busy time. Starting in October, he will be working 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. What he doesn't get done by the end of Sept. won't get done until next summer. Some days it just all seems hopeless.

But it is what it is I suppose. At least I will have a new deck. I guess I will have to learn to install closet doors and do it myself when I feel better. Thanks for letting me vent!

Cheers!