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

[WhySayWhat]

I found someone's blog when I first started searching for pallet coop plans (there aren't any by the way, lol) that did just that, standing the pallets on end and bolting them together. They all look really nice done that way! I was actually going to do mine that way, that's why I still have 9 pallets sitting in my garage, lol. Then, I got those pallet crates and a lightbulb went off, lol.

The only reason I even know about the cull lumber bin at Home Depot is because the mother of a friend I had in high school is on my facebook page and she works at one! She told me about it one day after I was moaning about the price of lumber, lol. I'm sure she never thought her little bit of advce would send so many people scurrying in to their local stores! It doesn't hurt to make friends with the guy that runs that department either...I met his replacement last night while I was there too. He isn't as fun to flirt with...but I suppose he'll do.

The guy that is there currently is being moved to another store.

 

[WhySayWhat]

It never did get very warm or sunny today...

But, I did manage to get outside for a little while to at least get the other crate torn down enough to set up next to the first one!

Since my other half was at work today, I had to be inventive about how I moved the crate...in comes the ancient wheelbarrow! I did all the cutting/tearing/moaning & groaning in the front of the house today...pried the"top" of the pallet off in the garage and then moved it to the grass next to the garage for traction while I cut the top half of the supports off (so it would fit under the deck). Then, I tipped it onto the wheelbarrow and strapped it down with a tie-dwn strap. It worked out quite well and would have worked even better if my wheelbarrow was of "normal" size, lol. The side it is sitting on is 4' square...so that helps show how small the thing is! Oh...and don't mind the leaf mat that is our backyard...both of us hate raking, lol.

Instead of cutting all the way through the base crate pallets like I did yesterday, I employed the "cut a little and stick the prybar in to break it" approach! It worked amazingly well...wish I had thought of it yesterday! I did run into an issue with a couplr of knots, but the was easily remedied with a little help from my SO in getting it up on the flooring (we had to do a bit of wiggling and "you lean your corner doen" type stuff. Bet he's glad he got home from work 2 hours early now. Lol! Anywho, here are all three runners (in order from the center of the coop and to the right of that):

No walls up today, but at least it's starting to take shape...I still need to remove the boards on the front side (looking into the run) on one or both of the crates, but need to figure out how to anchor the corner 2x4's down first! I am still thawing out and I've been inside for 45 minutes now! It was darn cold here today!

We're supposed to have rain and snow and bitter cold from now until Saturday night! Looks like Sunday might be nice enough to get outside again, but then back to rain/snow as far as the 10 day forcast goes.

Maybe I'll work on the brooder for a bit, lol. That should take all o 5 minutes to get a wire lid made for...

 

[AlabamaChickenLady]

Ok, my DD finally got my camera back to me. I was able to take pics of the steps to the coop and the new roost we built for them. But anyway, here's a pic of my new $2.55 steps. I'm just love them and especially the price. They ended up a little short on one side, but that block takes care of that. We built the coop on a hillside and everything is sloping.

And this is the new roost we built them. It's just a couple of 8ft 2" X 4" 's (we already had them) and then we put some of the 50 cent two by fours across for the actual roost. I think my hubby measured 1 1/2 foot apart for the roost boards. They look like they are really far apart, but even the little chickens are sitting on the top one, so I guess its not that far.

There is sooo much room inside the coop now. I keep thinking about chick days at TSC (Tractor Supply Company) starting the first of the month. I think I may have room for just a few more now!! Ssshhhhh.... Hubby don't know about that yet!! I really don't have anyplace to put them right now because he got the kids a little baby bunny the other day and its in the cage we used for a brooder. Buttttt if I can score some good lumber in the cull bin on Wednesday.... I can see a bunny hutch in our near future.... which will free up the brooder!!!

 

[AlabamaChickenLady]

Whysaywhat..... That is looking awsome. I can't even really see the wheel barrow.... is that it on the top right side of it?? If so, it is REALLY SMALL!! I think you are doing great and I keep telling my hubby about your progress. I now see pallets all over the place when I'm driving around. I wanna stop and ask for them, but I'm kind of holding out to see how well yours turns out first!!

Stinks about the snow and cold weather. But that will give you time to rest and get ready for the baby chicks. Lil' fuzzy butts... I love 'em!!

 

[WhySayWhat]

Great job on the stairs! I love the bright green paint on them too.

It's my new favorite color, lol.

I am more than a little annoyed with the weather...I just might go out there tommorow and work in the snow storm! At least it's under cover, lol. Just need to get the OSB out there without it getting too wet...this is when I wish we had in-house access to the back yard that wasn't up a flight of stairs and then down the outside set!

That second crate must have sat outside for quite a while...all the nails are rusted into the wood, the boards I took off the bottom came off in pieces and left all the nails behind! When I went to pull the nails, the heads popped off leaving pointy stubs! Going to take the dremel tool to thise before walls go up...any ideas as to which bit I should use? Will the cutting disks be strong enough? They look like sand paper coated cardboard, lol.

 

[AlabamaChickenLady]

Quote:
Yes, use the cutting disks. They don't look like much but they spin so fast and they cut the screws or nails right off. Be warned.... it will throw some sparks as you do this. That's normal.

When they build the pallets, they use air nail guns that shoot the nails in hard. The nailgun nails don't really have good heads on them (so they won't jam the gun) so that's why they stayed when you pulled off the boards. The drummel will make fast work of them. Watch for the sparks.

 

[WhySayWhat]

Quote:
Yeah, lol, that's the wheelbarrow all right! I can guesstimate the size as about 2.5' wide and maybe 3' long! Also, it only has about a 6" bucket! The concrete piers were taller than the height of the bucket, lol. We need a newer one, but they cost so darned much! We looked last summer and the cheapest on they had at the local Lowe's (it's closer to the house) was around $70! And it wasn't a very good quality one either.

I actually have a list of things to save up for, or buy when I "have a job". Lol. I have been casually looking for a job, even a part-time one, since we moved up here nearly 4 years ago! It is hard to find one these days with everyone looking, but add to that 4 years of no work and 3 years before that where I worked for my Mother...I have gotten a total of 1 interview...most don't even bither responding! Don't they know I have toys to buy and things to build? lol....

 

[AlabamaChickenLady]

I know what you mean. We moved here 4 years ago and I haven't worked since either. I've kinda stopped looking, and now I'm full of work from home ideas. Like making homemade craftsy stuff and selling them online. But I have no idea how paypal works. But, if I can get my nose out of this chicken forum and away from my chickens.... I may figure out how to do it. I have a list of things to do...... one day. lol

I even told my hubby that if I could get a good supplier for the solid box crates... we could make small coops and sell them on craigs list.

He just looked at me and rolled his eyses cause he won't let me use the saws (at all) and he works, so he's out of that one. But I can use the saws... I know how and used to. But he just got new ones and they are his "babies" so I can't touch them.

 

[CountryPantry]

AlabamaLady- That is why I have old used saws that I find at yardsales for my own. Then he can't tell me not to use his tools.

WhySayWhat- All my coops are made from pallets but they aren't pretty!!!

Duck pen that my grandson made this past summer for the ducks that he wanted!

These are my main coops when they were first made

and this is the bantam coop that was made later

Hope these can give you a few ideas for your next project! Your new coop is going to be so cute, mine look like prehistoric dinosaurs!

 

[WhySayWhat]

Quote:
Oh, I don't have the walls up yet...no calling it "cute" until it's done! Lol! You entered that first one in the "ugly coop" contest, didn't you? If you didn't, I appologize! I know I've seen it on a post somewhere though, lol.

AlabamaLady - I bought my own set of tools, lol. Actually...ever power tool in the house except his corded drill is mine! I have the recip. saw and cordless drill w/ spare battery (never buy a cordless drill unless you can get a spare battery, so says my uncles the carpenter & home builder) that I bought recetly. I also have a circular saw that is my Mother's. She gave it to me last summer when they brought it down to help cut the Sumacs up with (works better than a chainsaw for small branches & trees), lol.

Harbor Freight is a good place to get cheap tools from, just don't expect them to be ones you can hand down to kids/grandkids in the furture. lol. And watch the ads in the Sunday papers! They usually have the recip. saw & drill in there along with an Oscillating "multi-function" power tool, but the prices change! I saved up the ads for almost a month and then picked the lowest priced coupons for the things I wanted to get.