Official Coop Thread

[PapaChaz]

hard to turn away from free.....just sayin

 

[FranciscoR]

Been really busy without much to update. Been doing a lot of work / school stuff. Anyhow, was out with my 2yr old at Home Depot looking for a chainsaw chain. Came across the "cull lumber" bin. Found 6 - 2x8x16 boards (but in half). Some are warped, but most are still pretty good condition. They went for 70% off. Got all this lumber for $20.37.

I know I wanted to mill my own wood for coop. It is still my plan to mill lumber for coop (or future fence posts). However, this is solid lumber, at a great price. It'll save me a lot of time. I can use 4 of these to construct a 8x8 base, and use the other 8 to split into 32 2x4x8. Honestly, all that lumber for $20.37 is NOT a bad deal.

 

[Spartan22]

That was a great price! I think I spent over a $100 for those amount, the suv/van looks like when I was building mine last year

 

[FranciscoR]

That was a great price! I think I spent over a $100 for those amount, the suv/van looks like when I was building mine last year

This is one of the things I LOVE doing with my daughter. She is a trooper and really enjoys going to Home Depot / Lowes with me. She likes all the umbrellas on display, brightly covered tools / garden tractors, etc. She seems to genuinely dig hanging out with dad.

So whenever I have to go, I make it a point to have her with me. Also apply that mentality to stuff at home. She's "helped me" change oil in jeep, fix dishwasher, etc.

 

[aart]

Quote: It's good for girls to learn that stuff!!

 

[FranciscoR]

It's good for girls to learn that stuff!

I was talking to my best friend's wife one day (not hand's on / very trendy). She asked if we were ever going to have a boy, so I could, "teach him all that stuff?" My response was simple, "what the eff does it matter? I plan to teach my daughter to hunt an animal, gut it, process it, build the shed to hang it in, and properly display the head."

Essentially, I was getting the point across to not mistake my daughter's gender in any way as a weakness, or a hindrance in doing "manly things." She wasn't being mean when she asked this time, or again during another conversation. I don't plan her to be as good as, or better than a man. I plan to have her be the best version of herself possible.

 

[FranciscoR]

Granted, the level of her help right now (she's only 2) is hitting the underside of car with a socket, or holding a door that's hinged and hold's itself open. But to see her want to help, and get a kick out of it, makes me proud. As far as she knows, she's "helping daddy do something."

 

[aart]

Quote: It's not about good as or better than, it's about erasing gender roles and learning to do things that are necessary despite the 'typical' gender roles.
Some peopl, regardless of gender, are better at cooking/cleaning and some are better at fixing the car/building stuff.

 

[FranciscoR]

So I took the 2x8x16s out of the jeep. It's more than it looked like at store...lol This is a mockup of the possible le size of the coop (8x8). That metal plate is 4x8. It really puts things in perspective. This makes me rethink how much space I need/want.

 

[aart]

So I took the 2x8x16s out of the jeep. It's more than it looked like at store...lol This is a mockup of the possible le size of the coop (8x8). That metal plate is 4x8. It really puts things in perspective. This makes me rethink how much space I need/want.

Always good to mock up stuff full size if possible......
.......I'd go as big as you can, think about being able to partition off part of the coop with temporary mesh wall and a separate people door.
It was one of the best things I did in my coop and now wish I had several partition areas. Have used the partition area to isolate a rogue cockerel, a broody hen and a couple batches of chicks. It also has a separate pop door and run.