Updated, NEW PICS: We are, apparently, building a turkey cathedral

[Timmo]

WOW! That's awesome!

Your husband deserves a round of applause, no....a standing ovation!

Is he going to roof that thing or cover it with aviary netting? The price of metal roofing these days makes me want to break things.

Edit: Ah, just read you post about covering it on page 2. Question answered.

PS... The price of metal roofing still makes me want to break things.

 

[ninjapoodles]

I just now caught up with all these replies--y'all are cracking me up.

I don't know what the exact plan is for the "house" part, but the yard should be OK, huh?

The amazing thing, to me, is that he is doing this with NO help. None. I can't even imagine how he's been putting those 14' high cross-supports up there! Not to mention that it's 400 degrees out there.

We've been able to repurpose the materials for the "walls" of the pen, so that part was free. We already had electric fence and the charger, so no additional cost there. I think that, currently, he has, in dribs and drabs, purchased between $200-300 worth of lumber, and I think the sheet metal for the roof (yes, we want to break things) will wind up being in that same range when all is said and done. Hopefully, it will last a long, long time.

The wood "frame" around the yard is there solely to support the chicken wire that will enclose the whole thing. (ETA: Well, that and to HOLD UP THE ROOF.

) There won't be any gaps in the fencing.

We had a free-standing dog kennel with 5x10' panels, that was never being used (spoiled rotten dogs). By sliding that down next to the chicken yard, and opening it up to attach to two pre-existing fences (the chicken yard fence for one short side, and the chain-link perimeter fence for the long back side), we were able to claim quite a bit of space.

I'll keep pictures coming as he progresses--he's only able to really work on it on the weekends, and wants to try to be finished to the point that the poults can be outside full-time by the end of this weekend.

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Ummm... I am not sure about your roofing, but the 24" x 8' cheapie tin roof stuff is $16.00 a sheet here. Plus $20.00 per 10' for the ridge cap. I just paid $150(ish) to roof my 6' x 12'(+) roof on my coop! I am seeing many hundred's and hundred's if you roof that thing!!


EDIT:
Well, as hard as I look... to me, that looks like five 14' sections and one section maybe 8' on the far end. That is 78' based on what I can tell from scale. That breaks down to 78 feet of coop?

To roof 78' of coop (if the peak to end of roof is less than eight feet) and allow for 80' of ridge cap, you are pushing $1200 in roofing! (or, add a couple hundred for those special sealing screws. I paid $10.00 for 80 and used 1.5 boxes to roof mine.

That's a lot of turkey meat!

 

[BeardedChick]

Holy Crackamole! Can I have him when you get tired of him????

You must be awesome and awesomely crazy to have an astoundingly insane turkey cathedral builder like that at your service. Whooooo-weeeeeee. I am nearly floored!

 

[ninjapoodles]

We're not roofing it, per se, and there won't be any ridge caps at all. The only "roof" that's going in will be on the back side only, and will only cover 2/3 of the length of the pen. It's basically going to be a sun-shade. There will be an easy lean-to type deal out of wood on one end for a shelter.

OK, I asked for numbers. Here's what we have:

The whole thing is 56 feet long. The sheet metal we got (aluminum) is in 26"x12' pieces, which were $9.70 each. We have 17 of them, or enough for about 34 feet of "roof."

I am going to be saying "Holy crackamole" for the rest of my life, now.

PLEASE--if anyone has suggestions for the actual nighttime shelter part of this thing, SPEAK UP NOW!

 

[BantyHugger]

If they live in a Cathedral, I think it'd be sac religious to butcher on a Sunday or Wednesday. I'd aim for a Monday that way they have a last chance to repent.

 

[Shannonwbl]

Soooo, he will be finished this weekend - your in central AR - I'm in west TN - I have a horse barn that needs an addition, a Costco membership and room in my truck to carry enough sweet tarts to keep him puckering till the turkeys come home.....

 

[ninjapoodles]

I told Hubs that there were requests to lend him out, and he said he'd be happy to go visiting, but he's "afraid I only got one a' these structures in me."

 

[Psittizen Shikkin]

Quote:
Mondays should always be kept clear to ship hatching eggs.

 

[Heather J]

Wow! That's awesome. I'm already scanning classified lists to see if I can swing another shed and some fencing to add more birds. My dh thinks I'm crazy, but he thinks I'm cute anyway. lol

I always thought turkeys were supposed to be ugly until I went to pick up my chicks from a breeder. He had the most adorable wild turkey babies running around (are they pults? I've never considered getting turkeys before, so I've never done any research). it was sorely tempting not to grab a few while I was there.

DH thanked me for my self control.

We'll see how long I can hold out.