Hello there everyone! I just wanted to begin a thread where I share the progress of building our first chicken pen at our homestead. My husband and I are not strangers to raising chickens, but this will be the first time we have ever built an enclosure that uses resources from the land. It isn't going to be one of those fancy little coops with a mini garden on top, I am afraid. But our hard work will go into building it, and I plan on using my artsy touch to decorate it a bit.
I don't have any photos just yet of it, but let me describe how we are starting off, and what the chicken pen will look like:
We have cleared off a section of land while my husband is milling lumber, in order to build a chicken pen. The pine and oak trees are being milled into boards for building onto our house. Smaller pieces that he can't use are being incorporated into creating the chicken pen:
-Top and bottom pieces of each log he mills that cannot be used to make boards, I will be using to make the door to the pen and to line the bottom and top of the enclosure to support the chicken wire and help keep predators out.
-Smaller trees and the tops of ones he cuts for lumber will be used to make the posts for the fencing, which I debark by hand with a draw knife (lots of work!) or to make roosts.
Recycled wood that is still in good shape from his grandfather's chicken coop will possibly go towards building their coop. I initially wanted to build a log-cabin style coop, but am not sure how to go about filling the gaps in between the logs to protect from elements/predators. This is all being talked about currently. Whatever we do, we want to make sure that they are safe.
There are six large, healthy trees that the wire will mainly be supported by, while also using the fence posts we are making ourselves. The top of the enclosure will also be covered, again, as protection from predators.
We have had our preacher help us out by giving us a bit of spare chicken wire to start off with!
As of 4/30/15, the coop area has been marked and cleaned off. Measurements have been taken. 5 of the needed 8 posts have been debarked, and are drying before we treat them and then put them in the ground. We are currently discussing what chicken breed we want to raise, as I have my heart set on Sumatrans though they are hard to come by. I will post photos and information as we go along.
As a note, I understand that not all people will agree with the way we are building this, using resources straight from the land, but my husband and I are trying to keep homesteading alive by living off the the things we grow, raise, hunt, and make ourselves. Please help support a lifestyle that is dwindling, and I would love to hear encouragement or input from anyone who may be living the homestead life as well.
Thank you for reading, and God Bless!
I don't have any photos just yet of it, but let me describe how we are starting off, and what the chicken pen will look like:
We have cleared off a section of land while my husband is milling lumber, in order to build a chicken pen. The pine and oak trees are being milled into boards for building onto our house. Smaller pieces that he can't use are being incorporated into creating the chicken pen:
-Top and bottom pieces of each log he mills that cannot be used to make boards, I will be using to make the door to the pen and to line the bottom and top of the enclosure to support the chicken wire and help keep predators out.
-Smaller trees and the tops of ones he cuts for lumber will be used to make the posts for the fencing, which I debark by hand with a draw knife (lots of work!) or to make roosts.
Recycled wood that is still in good shape from his grandfather's chicken coop will possibly go towards building their coop. I initially wanted to build a log-cabin style coop, but am not sure how to go about filling the gaps in between the logs to protect from elements/predators. This is all being talked about currently. Whatever we do, we want to make sure that they are safe.
There are six large, healthy trees that the wire will mainly be supported by, while also using the fence posts we are making ourselves. The top of the enclosure will also be covered, again, as protection from predators.
We have had our preacher help us out by giving us a bit of spare chicken wire to start off with!
As of 4/30/15, the coop area has been marked and cleaned off. Measurements have been taken. 5 of the needed 8 posts have been debarked, and are drying before we treat them and then put them in the ground. We are currently discussing what chicken breed we want to raise, as I have my heart set on Sumatrans though they are hard to come by. I will post photos and information as we go along.
As a note, I understand that not all people will agree with the way we are building this, using resources straight from the land, but my husband and I are trying to keep homesteading alive by living off the the things we grow, raise, hunt, and make ourselves. Please help support a lifestyle that is dwindling, and I would love to hear encouragement or input from anyone who may be living the homestead life as well.
Thank you for reading, and God Bless!
