New plan! (LOTS O PICS, adding them as I go)

[AlabamaChickenLady]

Hello Whysaywhat.

We've been busy in the back yard the last couple of days. I've been cleaning up the back fence line that has gotten severly over grow. We now have 8-10 extra feet of our yard space that was just going to waste due to brush. I was burning the brush as I cleaned it up. Starting to look so much better now. As I cleared out a spot, I was telling my hubby that "With all this extra space, we can put another coop in over here and join the runs." He agreed, but I know he's hoping it don't get that far. He was busy working on the run now that our fence arrived yesterday. Another day or two and it will be finished.... HOPEFULLY!!!

As for you putting a bench inside of the run so you can have quality time..... I probably wouldn't do it. Just think about it, the chickens will be jumping up on the bench, hanging out on it... etc. It will be covered with poop before long. I just keep a cheap fold up camping chair on hand to take in there with me, and I take it back out with me too. I have also used the feed and water bucket turned upside down to sit on. But I take it out with me too. I will probably get or make some sort of a bench on the outside of the run so I can sit there and watch them and talk to them. Anything you put in the run long term will get chicken poo on it.

Well, I'm off to take a muscle relaxer and then off to bed. That brush kicked my butt. Guess I'm not a spring chicken any more. But I'm still going to keep on clucking!! lol

 

[WhySayWhat]

Yeah...I hadn't really thought about the poo factor...it is a concrete bench though, lol. Maybe I'll put it somewhere else though.

I so didn't get any work done today.

My Hunny was home sick from work and that just throws my entire day off! Ok, I got him sick, but still! So instead, I went shopping!

First, I got myself a desktop caledar, one of those ones you change every day (75% off at B&N with an additional 10% off since we have a membership!), it was well worth the $3.66 we spent.

Then, I cleaned off my desk...it's a big old desk with lots of room to "collect" stuff on...and I do. Anywho, I found all my Harbor Freight ads I had been saving since, oh, Christmas! And got the "best" coupons and went on a spree. I ended up spending just under $50!

Here's what I got for "our" money though:

Cordless drill...I'm gonna go back and get a second battery in a few days, they're $9.99, but I'll go armed with a 20% off coupon!

Tarp...$2.99 w/ coupon (and I have 5 more). Going to use these to "winterize the coop next year, but want to stockpile while the price is right!

Rotary Tool Set...my $6.99 solution for the drywall screws being too long to use in the whole coop!

A Reciprocating saw!!!!! For $19.99...with coupon, of course! They normally have these on coupon for $21-23, but several weeks ago, they added a really good coupon, so used it.

And last, but not least...my "freebie" flashlight! They changed the coupon so you have to spend $19.99 in order to get the freebie, but since I was spending nearly $50...they let me use it, lol. I only add this because I have mentioned it a few times when people are talking about candling. We keep one in the kitchen for specifically that reason! Of course, we are candling store bought eggs at the moment, but Oakdell has been putting some really odd looking eggs in the 5 dozen packages! I even got a pale tan egg the other day! Along with one that was almost an inch longer than the others, pointed at both ends, & much skinnier! They're all supposed to be medium sized eggs, but they range from a small, perfectly round one ( a few dozens ago) to monster eggs that I would consinder jumbo! I love the grab bag of eggs though...and it's fun to practice candling them, I even have the other half doing it now!

The other half goes back to work tommorow...he doesn't like that I make him work around the house when he's home during the day. So, maybe I'll be able to sneak off to Home Depot and get more OSB! And a few 2x4's...maybe 2x6 if I'm really lucky, so that I can make the coop that much easier to assemble once all the pieces are outside...kinda like a lifesize 3D puzzle! A few boards so I can "drop" the crates into place and add a few more screws, a couple of brackets to attach the crates together..and voila! At least that's the plan...lol.

 

[WhySayWhat]

Oh..I just thought of something! A few weeks ago we were wandering around in the mall (my other half and I) and we went into the reptile store that's there. Neither of us particularly like most of the creepy crawlies in there, but the lizards are fun and they have some gigantic turtles (tortioses?), the smallest of the 3 wanders around inside the store freely (he won't ste onto the linoleum outside the doorway) while the other 2 (weighing in around 150 pounds) just hang out in a big pen. They're fun to look at so we go in when we're there.

Anywho...at the front of the store, the have Hova-bators set up and hatch their own lizards right there in the store! The other half looks at them, looks at me, and then asked "Why aren't you getting your chicks that way?"

Oh boy would I be in trouble if I ha said that! Did I mention I have already figured out that we can legally have up to 5 chickens on our property? You should have seen the look I got when I mentioned the fact that I could buy 2 more chicks! And he thinks it'd be fun to hatch them!

We'll be sticking with 3 for now...maybe I'll get 2 more next year, lol.

 

[BWKatz]

Re: bench....one of the BYC members put a board on hinges in his run that he could flip down when visiting his chicks. No poo!. Looks like ur making great progress.

 

[abChicken]

3 then 2 then 3 then 4 chicken math

 

[WhySayWhat]

Hmm...drop down bench sounds good...I could roll a chunk of wood under it to support me, I'm not exactly a light weight, lol.

And yes...chicken math can be dangerous! But, I'm trying to keep it as legal as possible, lol. They have a 1 chicken per 2,000 sq ft of property here, our lot is approximately 10,500 (if I read the paperwork correctly), so that's 5 chickens!

Going to stick with the 3 for now though...

 

[AlabamaChickenLady]

Wow.... you did an awsome job with the coupon deals you got. Way to go!!! I used our Rotary tool set to cut off the long screws that held the metal roof on. I was worried that if a chicken jumped up or flew up to high in the coop, it would get stabbed by the screws. So off they went. It was easier than I thought it would be.

I also LOVE the idea of the fold down bench!! Pure genius!! I can add that to the list of things I need in my new run area. We are making good progress on our run.... I'll get some pics up soon so you can see it.

Hope your SO is feeling better soon.

 

[abChicken]

 

[WhySayWhat]

While I wait on my experimental Dark Chocolate Cake to cool...I have an idea for where and how to put a fold down bench into my plans...

The skinnier sections of deck supports (too skinny for my hips to fit through)! I can attach a nice thick "seat" board with hinges, one on each side, and an additional hinge to hold a "leg" piece (p/t 2x4 maybe?) on the outer corners of the seat. It might work...I know I have the lumber, lol.

I still need to buy hinges and latches for everything... But for now, low-carb, sugar-free chocolate cake with fresh whipped cream on top is calling my name! I may need to dye the cream pink in celebration of V-Day.

 

[BWKatz]

U could also build a roost in front of the bench... two 2x4's or stumps with a 2x4 connecting.