The building of Pea Palace(Pic Heavy)

[zazouse]

now days no matter what kind of critter you want to raise up it turns out to be a money pit because all the things we need to raise them cost a small fortune now.
I remember paying 3 dollars for 50 pounds of chicken feed and now its 17 dollars for that same 50 pounds.
When i sold off all my breeding stock horses i was paying 7. dollars a 50 pound bag, it was 4 dollars 5 years before and i was going threw 7 bags a day, now it cost 15 dollars a bag for the same feed, i miss them babies but am glad i moved them out when i did hay cost 75 dollars a round bale now i was paying 16 dollars for the same hay.
I love and miss this big guy

 

[flgardengirl]

You are doing an amazing job with your Pea Palace. I have really enjoyed reading about the process and seeing your new tenants! You have given me lots of ideas for when we start building our pea pens.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

flgardengirl,,I'm looking for a low priced way to cover the pens now for some shade,,,soon it will be 90degrees here and 80% humidity and no breeze,,and whatever you think your budget will be,double it,and sizewize the same,,you can always use the extra space.

 

[zazouse]

Do you have bamboo anywhere in your area? I can get it off the side of the road in some places around here and i use it for all kinds of stuff in the garden but you could make some bamboo tepees out of them.
Pallets can be set on their side and then attach one to the top ,then take another palette and use the boards to fill in the structures open areas if you like.
I can take a photo and show you if you like.
You can paint pallets if you want it to look nicer, i don't but i Can burn mine here when they get to bad plus i get a couple every month when i pick up my feed order.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

We don't have bamboo in Illinois,,heard that stuff grows a foot per day,be a great windbreak here.I'm looking for the black mesh tarp sized pieces to lay on top of the top netting. It will be a pain to unroll and tighten up with not being able to work on top of the net at all,,but i'm sure it can be done.I've thought of vinyl tarps but afraid when it rains if every corner isn't downhil,the water will pool up and break the top netting underneath it from the weight.We've had this happen before on our camper awning when a sudden rain comes up,and the tarp isn't positioned with one corner a lot lower than the other so the water runs off.

 

[MinxFox]

Wow I wish I had a lot of pens! Lol. I really really really want to seperate my peafowl so I can have a pen for pieds, a pen for India blue, etc. My parents still don't see why I would not want to keep them all in one pen together though. At least I would want a second pen for green peafowl. I figure if I at least have a pen for them it will get me just that much closer to having some. Anyways you are really getting into the different varieties too! I love seeing everyone get all these varieties and show pictures and stuff.

Zazouse the horses you had were just beautiful! I really love paints! I really love horses in general but have never owned one. I have been ridding a few times though. I would like to have horses someday but the cost really is an issue. I think all of my money is going to be going to peafowl, pens, and plants. Today was my last day in Highschool and for a graduation present I don't want a new car or anything most people would want...I want a new peafowl pen, or a trip to Rocking B-A-B Ranch or some peafowl breeder not too far from here.

 

[angsaidso]

It gets SO expensive to build for them after awhile. Today I drove three hours one way to pick up a purple black shoulder boy and a white hen split to black shoulder .... no place to put them of course and my current peafowl wanting to nose around and figure out who the intruders were ... they are in a temp holding situation, but I have already ordered new netting for a new enclosure. Seems I need to build faster ... somehow! LOL ... FBC, I agree about your money pit statement with my birds. Especially since my guys are so young that there will be no chicks for at least another season. So I can't even sell a few chicks to buy netting! ACK! Good thing my chukar and turkeys bring in a little money to offset the peafowl cost or I'd go bankrupt! And, speaking of selling things, I can totally relate. I am selling my van to pay for the new side boards and netting for the new flight pen I am building in the woods ... with trees and everything. Thank heavens (whsipering now) I haven't had anything other than a coopers hawk flying around ... nothing any worse ... so far ... so far ...

 

[angsaidso]

FBC, for shade, look on eBay for those solar shades. You can get some cheap, they work great for all sorts of applications ... They won't cover the entire pen and you should probably remove them for winter, but they work great for dropping temps under them about ten to fifteen degrees. I have one I use at bird auctions for my purchased fowl and I also have one I use at dog shows. They come in black and sliver I believe. Mine are silver and work fabulous.

 

[Mmmatt13]

This is beautiful! I've browsed ebay searching for the same or similar things of the suggestions you've provided us with and I think I'm well on my way to making my first peafowl enclosure! Just a couple questions;

How did you attach the cable? If possible, could you take a couple pictures of the corners of the aviary? I'm wondering where the netting meets the fencing and how the cables stay put on the ends? Is the pen ten feet high? Are the posts mounted in the ground with cement? Thank you so much! Really really well done, I don't think I'm the only one speaking here when I say I'm inspired.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Mmmaddie13,thank you so much for your words.It's an ongoing process to get all the "tweeks" taken care of but we're getting there.I still have room under this sides top netting for at least 3 more 10x20 pens,just need to sink a few posts for doors and add the wire and metal.I went out and took some pics for you,hope they help.You ask how I attached the cable,,please see this pic below