The building of Pea Palace(Pic Heavy)

[frenchblackcopper]

This area is now where all my other junk and tools were moved to.I'm not planning anymore building this winter.I've now got 5 pens fully constructed and being used and will finish my last big pen in the next few days,hopefully before New Years as we have another storm scheduled to hit about Thursday.Above the rafters you can see the open area that allows sparrows and starlings to freeload on pea crumbles and BOSS during the day.I will close these last 5 areas off between the rafters yet before I quit for the year.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Here is the start of the final pen on the west side.It will measure about 12'x10' and I plan on putting the 6 peas I kept from last years hatch along with 4 Ornamental pheasants in here.This was the first pic of the north wall being built. It will take me maybe another hour to finish the last wall pen you see in this pic for moving the last group of my 2012 peas into.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

This was as far as I got on this pen today.I added the drop down welded wire from the ceiling to the top of the wall pens then started on the east wall of this pen.My pen entry door will be between the upright pole on the left,and the last pen wall.I was running short of 2x4's and decided to use the existing pole as one side for the entry door to be attached to.it's kinda narrow tho compared to my other entry doors,guess I won't overdue it at the X-Mas dinner table in the next few days.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

This was my last project completition today and that was making an entry door and closing up the rest of the 4' opening.It was so much easier when I still had the last 2 pieces of sheet metal still off the east side wall but it's time to get this sealed up.Instead of cutting off the excess tarp I just rolled it up and used a few drywall screws and scraps of wood to hold it to the wall.If the tarp survives the winter I'll take the drywall screws out that were used thru wood scraps to hold it up,and unroll it next summer and possibly reuse it again next year.

 

[Haunted55]

Fantastic job FBC!!!! This is a really wonderful undertaking and I'm sure you and your birds will really appreciate all the thought and care that went into this as the winter deepens. Thank-you for such a wonderful thread. I know it has inspired me with getting things done for my own and given me some very sound ideas to make my life and theirs so much easier.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Those peas don't know how lucky they are, that you worked so hard to keep them safe out of the cold and snow.
Excellent work!

 

[frenchblackcopper]

I guess the new test will come on Christmas night here.We are expected to get 6" of blowing snow,winds in the 30-40mph range and if it's a "dry" snow it will cause huge drifts beside anything that slows the wind down. Haunted55,,thanks again for your support.I should have completed this months ago as my wife reminds me each evening I stay out there until 9pm,,for some reason I always wait until the last possible moment when I'm pressed,maybe thats why I stick it out.BTW,weather just said we're now under a "Blizzard" warning from 8pm tomorrow eve until 6pm Wednesday,,I'm truly glad the past two weeks has allowed me to get this much finished and finally moved my BSSP quad inside.
New2,,I don't get much peafowl applause when it's feeding and watering time.But one significant change has happened since these adult birds has been moved inside the smaller pens,,they are getting very used to me being within a few feet of them daily.None goes crazy and flies away.My purples was the wildest of all but now they either just sit on their perch and watch or just walk to a corner and watch and wait until I'm done and leave them.Bonding it's not but when they were outside in their breeding pens some would fly as if trying to get away everytime.Maybe now they know their space is much smaller.

 

[Haunted55]

this is probably the same storm heading for us Weds. into Thurs.. Keep me posted will you? Lol, the weather forecasts up here are iffy at best. Living in the foothills can be interesting to say the least.

So glad everyone is settling in well. After all you did I am sure they have to be much happier inside.

 

[Trefoil]

French & Haunted- Please keep that weather to yourselves. We've only had snow on the ground for a week and I'm already tired of winter. I hope the new "palace" lives up to our expectations.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

Frostbite from sub zero windchills is my main concern so as long as their out of the wind I think they can handle the cold.If not I have something else up my sleeve that should keep the Palace warm even when it's zero degrees outside.I want to make a Babington burner that will burn waste oil,ect.I can make one for less than $10 and it will generate 150k BTU and only use maybe 3/4 of a gallon per hour.Here is a youtube link for those that like mechanics and building something yourself that's very beneficial