After six long hard weekends of smashed fingers (with hammer), red wasp stings, ants in Gatorade, and generally being tore up by hard wire, The Weigh Station is finaly open for business.
The 2 Barred Rocks, 2 Buff Orphingtons, & 2 Rhode Island Reds are happy in their well built home and the neighbor kids learned a few new words -
For those of you who know Truck Driver Lingo, my DH affectionately named our Coop - The Weigh Station.
For all weigh stations are known as Chicken Coops by truck drivers and all drivers want to know if they are "Open" for business. Most get a green light and keep on driving while others Lay an Egg for the ticket they are written by the cops for being out of compliance with DOT regs.
Our coop started out as an 8' x 12' fourty year old tool shed.
For it's age, the roof was in good condition and kept the floor from rotting out. We only had to replace a few boards in the process.
After several trips to Sears, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Lowes, we were able to find all the parts we needed to get the job done during the month of August in SE Texas.
We used 1/2 x 1/2 hard wire (buried as suggested with staples & washer/screws - also suggested), treated lumber, and added a partial tin roof for shade during the mid-day sun and rainy Spring/Fall days on the 12' x 15' run.
Inside, DH built a four step roost for the girls and we will have about 8 tp 10 nesting boxes. The girls are only about 13 weeks so we will add the boxes at a later date. We shingled the roof at a slight angle and finished out the inside. We painted the inside and layed flooring for easy clean up.
All we need to do is put some fill dirt in the run. There are a few low spots that need attention and the hard wire along the front needs to be buried a bit to keep the preditors from diggin in from under the coop.
We are so proud and hope you enjoy the pictures.
The 2 Barred Rocks, 2 Buff Orphingtons, & 2 Rhode Island Reds are happy in their well built home and the neighbor kids learned a few new words -
For those of you who know Truck Driver Lingo, my DH affectionately named our Coop - The Weigh Station.
For all weigh stations are known as Chicken Coops by truck drivers and all drivers want to know if they are "Open" for business. Most get a green light and keep on driving while others Lay an Egg for the ticket they are written by the cops for being out of compliance with DOT regs.
Our coop started out as an 8' x 12' fourty year old tool shed.
For it's age, the roof was in good condition and kept the floor from rotting out. We only had to replace a few boards in the process.
After several trips to Sears, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Lowes, we were able to find all the parts we needed to get the job done during the month of August in SE Texas.
We used 1/2 x 1/2 hard wire (buried as suggested with staples & washer/screws - also suggested), treated lumber, and added a partial tin roof for shade during the mid-day sun and rainy Spring/Fall days on the 12' x 15' run.
Inside, DH built a four step roost for the girls and we will have about 8 tp 10 nesting boxes. The girls are only about 13 weeks so we will add the boxes at a later date. We shingled the roof at a slight angle and finished out the inside. We painted the inside and layed flooring for easy clean up.
All we need to do is put some fill dirt in the run. There are a few low spots that need attention and the hard wire along the front needs to be buried a bit to keep the preditors from diggin in from under the coop.
We are so proud and hope you enjoy the pictures.
