Work on the Coop Renovation has started!

[Chicabee19]

that's probably a collector's item! worth some money.

hang it in the coop!

 

[babalubird]

Can't wait to see the coop take shape. Hope you're far enough north, those aren't those darn Africanized bees. We had quite a fight on our hands at our Texas farm...darn things were all through some piled pieces of my Hubby's destroyed house and our destroyed trailer home we were trying to clean up. Luckily they weren't Africanized but even the Italian honey bees have a temper!

Connie

 

[Scrambled Egg]

It's going to be sooo awesome!!!

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
Haha yeah we're 1.5 hours away from the border crossing at Watertown, NY so I'd say we're fairly far north.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

UPDATE:

Today we started the footings, we've done the first layer of cement on the long wall, it's the Quickcrete 5000 cement, unfortunately Home Depot (or we exhausted them of) ran out of that cement so for the short wall we're using the Quickcrete Crack Resistant cement. All the lower portions of the footings are getting done with the stronger stuff, to fill all the holes, etc. then just to make them level with the old footings and make it look nicer we're finishing it off with the cheaper cement on top. It's more cosmetic to use the cheaper stuff, since we don't need it... we just want it to look nice too

I also have to pour a tiny footing at the front door as the sill there isn't high enough to stop water coming in, and it's a little cracked.

After the footings are done, we will be almost ready for the girls to move in. We will then just have to have the new sheathing up, the pop door made, the front door on it, windows in, and at least a makeshift run set up for them while we finish the rest of the coop. I start school next week for one last year, and so we must get most of the work finished this week. We have made the decision NOT to pour the new floor on the inside just yet, and instead have decided to wait until spring, we'll just clean out the coop, prep the surface, and pour a thin coat of cement over what is there just to mend cracks, etc. The chickens will be fine this winter without the new floor inside, i'll just put extra shavings in. The other side of the coop we discovered we can just patch up the cracks in the foundation there with hydraulic cement, which we used on our old house... it's fantastic, and moves with the building.




ALSO: Where should I put my roosts...suggestions? I have windows on all sides, and I'd like to place them in a corner, the side where the side door is, I think would be the best place. Ideas?







Check list of things to be done before the girls can move in:

1. Pour footings, patch up one side of the footings with hydraulic cement
2. Fill in the wall where the side door used to be
3. Frame in for new windows
4. Put insulation in the walls
5. Install sheathing and siding
6. Install windows and front door
7. Make the girls pop door, and pull the dog run up to it

The girls can now move in while we finish the rest of the coop

 

[Chick_a_dee]

I haven't posted an update in a while, but today we finished siding the outside wall that faces the house, where the old door used to be.

Tomorrow we will fit the window in there, and that side will be almost finished aside from trim which will happen last!

We have also painted inside, it needs one more coat but at the moment it's good.

And this is where the girls are living during the day, they can't be left out at night so unfortunately all 15 of them (at 9 weeks) come in and sleep in their 4x4 brooder at night, and are out from 8am-8pm in the outside 10x10 run.

Our scheduale this week to work on the coop is as follows:

Tues.
Finish siding the boarded up door sideDONE

Wed.
Put triangle of sheathing in end, finish siding end.DONE

Thurs.
Start sheathing forest side, perhaps finish? DONE

Fri.
Finish sheathing forest side, side forest side

Sat.
Start sheathing driveway end, try to finish sheathing driveway end

Sun.
Finish any sheathing on driveway end that must be done, and/or side driveway end, pop in windows for forest side and driveway end

Mon.
Side driveway end, pop in window on driveway end, put up door jamb for door.

Hopefully the girls can be settled in the new coop before next Friday!

 

[redoak]

The coop is coming along nice.