So I decided to build an underground coop: UPDATE pg 33

[walkswithdog]

God bless you for doing it first because that's what I want for my stock shed. We've heavy clay and low frost but I want a well insulated place for the actual livestock.

And I don't want a ton of small buildings, apparent, on the property. I'm going to try for doing it with local cedar log rounds. I want the round log practice and it's cheaper.

As it is the plans for the large turkey coop are being drawn - just don't tell Laura.

I've a neighbor with some salvaged industrial belts - 4 ft high we'll be using for exterior to the logs, moisture prevention. It's about 1/4 inch thick, lovely stuff.

Thanks for the pictures - keep us posted.

 

[Oblio13]

Quote:
I'm hijacking my own thread:

Where did your neighbor come up with the belts? Family friends lived in post-WWII Germany, and told me when I was a kid about the sandals they made from conveyor belts when they couldn't buy shoes. Very similar to the "Ho Chi Minh" sandals made from old tires. I've wanted to try making a pair ever since - even saved plans I found on the internet. (I know it's weird, but I'm the guy who copied Otzi the Iceman's stone-age pack frame and has family "Civil War" dinners of hardtack, beans, bacon and coffee.)

 

[BeardedChick]

If you live near a coal mine, they occasionally replace their belts...

My brother has a bunch of that stuff from the local mine.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Wait, I finally figured out what you are doing. You are secretly making your family and friends think they are building a chicken coop and what you are REALLY doing is making a MAN CAVE !!

 

[Oblio13]

Quote:
It is not a man cave. It's a hermit hut. Entirely different thing.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Naw, it's a mushroom cave!

(Also good for when the big mushroom cloud in the sky eventually appears...)

 

[walkswithdog]

I'll ask him where he got the belting, probably a mine or other local closed-down manufacturer. He's got like FOUR huge rolls and his wife wants them GONE. He's also parting with a ton of scrap lumber my way. They're my heroes.

My current buildings might not look too keen but they were darned cheap. I spent more to roof the turkey pen than I did on the stuff to build/rebuild both coops. Palruf ain't cheap.

I'm planning on the permanent Turkey pen being much larger and well built. But you have to learn somehow and not getting started wasn't going to happen. Let em help pay for the lumber. Eggs and poults sell.

The chicken coop is a rebuilt pig shed. At least it looks better now. Still needs a new roof. Again, make chickens, make eggs - make a few more ends meet, improve things.

There's a sawmill just a few miles away. I plan a trip to talk to him about mulch, shavings AND about local unstripped cedar logs. It's all good.

And I have to rent a bobcat w/ backhoe to dig for the dogs' pond any way. And a post driver... Does that list ever get SHORTER???

You know the one... the what-next list and the want-it list and the should list....

 

[Mesa]

Wow this looks great! This might be my next adventure... my chickens could hide from the neighbors lol. I could get a lot more then!
LOL

I'm subscribing to this thread now.

 

[Siamesesage]

Oblio... WOW..WOOW..WOW.. i stumbled on this thread by accident, ended up reading all the pages.. grin..

More power to ya..can't hardly wait to see the end results!

Siamesesage

 

[mksenoj]

Great Idea