Show off your Peas!

[margaret8]

We're in the 50s too and probably the rest of the week! Then the bottom is going to fall out....

 

[MinxFox]

Well I decided that the cross shaped perch idea is just not working. It wasn't long ago that Aaron and I completely re-made one roost, only to have it fall apart this week. So today I got some wood, nails, the shovel, and a ladder and fixed the roost all by myself! Now it is a lot sturdier and for anyone who has considered having cross shaped perches, I don't recommend it unless if you can figure out how to make it stable. The nails ripped out of the wooden post and the cross was hanging by 2 nails. It would have completely fallen if it were not for the netting holding onto it.

These photos are not that great, they were taken using my phone, but you get the idea.
This shows how the roost just fell apart. You can't see the netting in the photos, but it is there. The bucket is attached to the netting.

Then today after some work, I made it like this:

Frosty was the first to try out the new perch design.

 

[KsKingBee]

Well I decided that the cross shaped perch idea is just not working. It wasn't long ago that Aaron and I completely re-made one roost, only to have it fall apart this week. So today I got some wood, nails, the shovel, and a ladder and fixed the roost all by myself! Now it is a lot sturdier and for anyone who has considered having cross shaped perches, I don't recommend it unless if you can figure out how to make it stable. The nails ripped out of the wooden post and the cross was hanging by 2 nails. It would have completely fallen if it were not for the netting holding onto it.

These photos are not that great, they were taken using my phone, but you get the idea.
This shows how the roost just fell apart. You can't see the netting in the photos, but it is there. The bucket is attached to the netting.

Then today after some work, I made it like this
Frosty was the first to try out the new perch design.



Nice job with the perch!

What's all that green stuff?

 

[Garden Peas]

Well I decided that the cross shaped perch idea is just not working. It wasn't long ago that Aaron and I completely re-made one roost, only to have it fall apart this week. So today I got some wood, nails, the shovel, and a ladder and fixed the roost all by myself! Now it is a lot sturdier and for anyone who has considered having cross shaped perches, I don't recommend it unless if you can figure out how to make it stable. The nails ripped out of the wooden post and the cross was hanging by 2 nails. It would have completely fallen if it were not for the netting holding onto it.

These photos are not that great, they were taken using my phone, but you get the idea.
This shows how the roost just fell apart. You can't see the netting in the photos, but it is there. The bucket is attached to the netting.

Then today after some work, I made it like this:

Frosty was the first to try out the new perch design.


l

Good job fixing the perch, MinxFox -- Frosty looks pretty happy up there!

So that is exactly why I have almost completely quit using nails, especially here, where the wood dries out so badly, so very quickly. It is hard for the nails to keep a good hold, especially when you nail them to something upright like that -- it's not super, super steady when you are nailing, so they won't sink and hold as well.

I find I have much better luck using bolts... I drill all the way through and use big washers to make sure my bolts and nuts aren't pulling through the wood. Then it's easy to tighten them up periodically when the wood shrinks.

I can't tell on the one cross roost that is remaining... did you use diagonal braces, or is that a tree in behind it? Diagonal cross braces are a good idea. Your cross-arms are really long, and that puts a rotation (twisting like a windmill) force on the center upright, which is going to also tend to work the nails loose, especially when the wind blows.

Your revised version, with the roost between the two posts on the ends, is much more stable and will probably hold up a lot longer. But again, you might want to think about the idea of using bolts... Bolts are kinda pricey, but it doesn't take very many, compared to all those nails, and the security factor is huge.

Was that other post there already, or did you have to plant that too?

I agree with KsKingBee, you did a great job!

 

[Garden Peas]

@KsKingBee , I'm pretty sure all that green stuff is mold, it's Florida, everything turns green

even your beard

Eta... and obviously, THEY didn't get snow today

 

[AnimalsRmyLife]

Well I decided that the cross shaped perch idea is just not working. It wasn't long ago that Aaron and I completely re-made one roost, only to have it fall apart this week. So today I got some wood, nails, the shovel, and a ladder and fixed the roost all by myself! Now it is a lot sturdier and for anyone who has considered having cross shaped perches, I don't recommend it unless if you can figure out how to make it stable. The nails ripped out of the wooden post and the cross was hanging by 2 nails. It would have completely fallen if it were not for the netting holding onto it.

These photos are not that great, they were taken using my phone, but you get the idea.
This shows how the roost just fell apart. You can't see the netting in the photos, but it is there. The bucket is attached to the netting.

Then today after some work, I made it like this:

Frosty was the first to try out the new perch design.

Looking good Frosty!!

And Good job on the perch MinxFox!!

 

[Shay1Bear]

 

[Shay1Bear]

Last night was the first time my husband and I had seen our IB fan his tail up. I want to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving and I hope your day is the best!

 

[margaret8]

I think it's grass! I really wouldn't know it's been so long since I've seen ant!

 

[KsKingBee]

I think it's grass! I really wouldn't know it's been so long since I've seen ant!

Look at the bright side, you will see it a month before I do unless we come down there first.

Probably won't see ants until then either...