Starting that duck house

[21hens-incharge]

I will update here as things move forward.

Nothing to show today as we did shrub, tree, the hat other shrub, another tree removal and planning only.

The duck house will be 5x8 for 7 welsh harlequin darlings.
I really really need to have it done and them moved in within the next 3 weeks.
I laugh a bit (nervous crazed laughter) because I know things always take longer than we want.

Great part of all this is I got the phone and cable companies to move low hanging lines that serve the neighbors house so now I can roof my entire duck and chicken run! I was also given enough metal to roof it all!

 

[21hens-incharge]

At the rate I am going you might need more popcorn.

 

[CSAchook]

At the rate I am going you might need more popcorn.

We can share!

 

[21hens-incharge]

And this is why I had to get the duck house done before today.

 

[21hens-incharge]

All things move painfully slow when needing other peoples assistance.

Tomorrow we start the roof on the chicken run finishing it on Sunday. Once that is done I can get rolling on the rest.

Until then.....



Hanging out in their crappy rigged up temporary space. Yes to get a non panicked pic I had to take it through 1/4" hardware cloth from inside the chicken coop.


And just because that hen made me laugh.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Ok so more progress!!!


This is the door I made and hung yesterday but didn't get a pic. I like these latches too. When closed and padlocked the screws are all hidden.


Sitting in place and the chain link is now secured.
We leveled the ground, put landscape fabric, fine sand and all the pavers I had laying around. Just barely enough. The space around will have some sort of dirt cover as well. I have some concrete pieces from an odd old path pattern I may use there. Then it is just secure wire over the top....yes I wanted wire over the pool....plumb the drain the rest of the way, build a ramp to get in and out as well as the duck door and ramp. Tomorrow is move in day. I think they will be happy.

Close up of the ball valve set up...

 

[21hens-incharge]

Looks good. Watch those type of latches, they sometimes hook closed if you don't keep the snap on the eyelet part and you end up locked in. Although come to think of it we have the positions reversed so when the door is pulled shut it causes the swinging part to swing shut. Yours is better. I like those latches too. We use them a lot.

Been there played that!
Yeah getting locked in is no fun. It took hubs an hour to come looking for me when that happened years ago. I hang the padlocks through the eyes when I open them. This one is inside a locked run so only needs a hook through it. I definitely don't want to get shut in the duck house. With my luck it would be while the ducks are in there and their door is latched from the outside of the house. Poor babies would be trapped with me.....who they STILL think is Godzilla.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Can't wait to see your progress.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Todays list.....

Make 100% certain ducks and chickens are secured OUTSIDE the work zone and INSIDE the unaffected section of the run.

Cut and roll chain link out of the way.

Get the base built and painted with porch and floor paint.

Haul off excess metal and pick up 2x4's while paint dries.

Clear workshop bench since it got buried in tools.

With all my other time demands framing will start tomorrow.

 

[21hens-incharge]

FINALLY got something done!!!




These pallets were 40x49.....yeah I did some cutting.
Now the total is 40x93.5.
You can see I hooked it over the 2x6 old run frame....there is a reason for that.


I only have one piece of roofing left and it is 37" wide. I need to stay within that.


I forgot to get a picture adding the cut pieces of pallets to the inside.
I DID get it leveled, decked and painted!
I was very pleased that even working with pallets I managed to keep it square!

It is now just under 8' long and just over 5' wide. I had to leave room on the ends to slide siding in. Those posts are exactly 8' apart.

In the morning I will give a second coat of porch and floor paint then run to get my 2x4's.

Hoping we are dry in the morning.