Off to Lowes to buy COOP LUMBER...and it's only Feb...

[Cass]

It was 55 degrees out yesterday so my SO, ray, decided to design my coop and has a supply list for the roof. Why he is starting with the roof, I don't know...something about not having space enough in the shop to build the floor and walls....so rafters it is.

And it's only FEBRUARY....he said he was going to build it in March. I am so excited.

I am not sure if I am going to be able to post pictures cuz I am new(ish)....but if I can I will continue this thread as we build.

Wish me luck. He says it is going to be a chicken MANSION....time will tell.

*I wonder if my chicks have been hatched yet. I ordered them for April pick up, as 8-10 week olds...paying good money to not have that stink in my house, since I don't have a coop YET

*

 

[wannabchick]

 

[Moabite]

Roof, foundation, then the rest is easy

 

[10 point]

Good luck and have fun with the new chickens

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

We bought out first load in mid-Jan to make raised bed gardens.

 

[Cass]

Quote:
DAMN...I knew there was something I wanted for MYSELF at Lowes....More timbers for MORE raised beds... I have strawberries, blueberries, aspargus and a couple of other things coming in the spring...

Back to the store tomorrow....OH and fencing. Need something to keep the chickens out of the plants I *want*.

 

[NHchicks]

Congrats on the coop!

Now about the lumber for raised beds. I was looking on Lowes website myself. Do you all make your raised beds out of cedar? My husband insists on cedar. Are you finding that reasonably at Lowes? I've seen premade beds advertised online out of cedar, but they are like $100 for a 4x8 bed. Ouch. The 8 foot planks at lowes.com look like they're less than $16 I believe.

 

[Cass]

Quote:
Foundation? No one told me it had to have a foundation!!!

I was planning to build it like a deck, on 4x4 posts in cement. It's REALLY wet in my yard, we don't even mix water in the cement, just pour the bag into a hole and set the post in it. It sets in 24 hours or less.

It is so wet we are going to have to raise the run by almost 10 inches to get dry enough for chickens to scratch in. Please tell me that chickens don't dig holes over 10 inches deep

This year it's a chicken coop. Next year a broody house at the other end of the run. And some ducks. Maybe geese too. And guinea hens. And Rabbits. Ok, no rabbits, but definately some more chickens. And another coop. (actually the first coop is being built 5 times bigger than I need. I am building 8'x8' for 4 birds

Might not need a larger coop for 2 years)

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Quote:
Those $16 ones are the ones we used. We cut them in half and made 4x4 beds for small crops and 8x4 for bigger crop beds. For root crops, you can double stack them. We got a load of topsoil to fill them with - cheaper than buying bags of potting soil.

 

[Cass]

Quote:
Cedar? Ahhh, no. I use the $2.97 landscaping timbers stacked 2 high and filled with top soil. Cut one in half for the ends so it takes me 6 timbers for each 4x8 foot bed. My thinking is that when the timbers have rotted so much that they won't/can't contain the garden I will have enriched the soil to the point that raised beds won't be necessary; I will just plant in the mound of soil left where the timbers were. But I have 3 acres (give or take depending on my neigbhor's mood regarding property line) so I am not looking to contain the garden and maximize planting as much as I am looking to enrich soil that has so much clay and rocks that you can't dig a hole in it to plant a seedling. So instead of fighting with the clay and rocks I am just planting on top of them and will let the plant roots do the breaking up for me.

Oh, and I add earthworms. I just buy the ones for fishing and throw them in the garden and compost pile. Seems to be working, but this is only our third year at this location. This year I hope to be adding chicken poo to enrich the soil too.