I am not a handy person when it comes to building things. I do not have the turner, i did turn my eggs 3 times a day. And if I had something that could hold 1000 eggs I would be in lots of trouble. I wonder if i could get my brother to come up with something for me...hmmmm. He is the one who is helping me build my coop our of recycled materials. He seems to come up with a million ideas.
a person who is not handy, is that way because they believe they are not handy. (I think Confucius said that LOL) the best way to learn this stuff is to do it. im sure your brother would be glad to teach you why he does things the way he does. also keep in mind that when the pioneers came here, they came with what they could carry/haul in one trip.
so many farmers are intimidated by construction. it does not take any fancy knowledge, with a little ingenuity you can make almost anything. of course you do need some basic tools: a saw, and a comfortable hammer. a tape measure and square are really not needed, but they do make the job a lot easier. a very basic knowledge of geometry is needed. and a level does help. for several of our first settlers, a chicken coop was probably not much more than a few small trees used as posts with saplings and wild grapevines woven in between. pigs were kept in by driving pointed pieces of wood into the ground, a lot of times they would weave them with bark or grapevine.
also did you know that ancient Egyptians incubated eggs? they would build large oven like structures that hatched millions. the person who ran them likely lived in them. they regulated the temperature and humidity by feel. the whole chicken process does not need to be thought of like brain surgery.
as humans, especially in the modern day. we take so many easy things and complicate them all up. our computers, blackberries, cell phones, GPS, even our cars have gotten so complicated that most people have to take classes to learn how to use them. I myself do have a degree in electronics engineering and computer information systems. when I was younger I grew up on a farm. my parents had greenhouses, we processed our own meat, we heated with wood in the house and greenhouse, for fun we made apple cider some summers with an antique cider press that had been passed through the family. growing up I swore I would never farm, or work in greenhouses/gardens, and I would never heat my house with wood. I went to college, worked in electronics for a short time, and decided I hated the offices. my dad, realizing how much i hated things, gave me the family business of moving houses. i couldn't make any money at it, but i loved the feeling of being in the sun. since then i have driven trucks, worked on sawmills, had a wood shop, made the dog boxes hunters haul their dogs in, worked in a nursery (plants not babies), worked as a professional gardner, and now to chicken farming. notice how i ended up doing the things i said i wouldn't?
learning to build things for your farm is a very rewarding thing. imagine how you would feel when your friends see the coop YOU built. when they comment on how good of a job you've done.
as you start building things, if you get stuck; ask someone. they might smile as they answer your question, but they will probably never laugh at you. that's why we are all on here. we are learning from others knowledge and mistakes. anytime you need help, if i can help i will. if i cant i will do my best to help you find the info you need.
on a completely different subject. the first time i noticed my chicken's crops, i called my brother at midnight and made him come and look at my chickens. i felt so dumb when he got out of bed and drove here to tell me it was natural.
I'm a little addicted and will have to definitely decide on certain breeds instead of wanting one of everything.
