The siding is done.

I got the last of the siding up today. Hoping to have time tomorrow to get the last two windows in.




Once I got the siding on the clerestory wall, around the window openings, it was too dark to take a photo.



It was such a nice day, the girls and guy spent a little time outdoors today.

Crowing video from last night.

Here's Chickapoo trying his best to crow.

Chickapoo is crowing.

While I was in the garage this evening priming some plywood for the coop, my little rooster made his first attempts at crowing. Man, did it sound sick. And it scared the crap out of the hens. As for the coop, I finished getting the chicken wire installed on the top part of the half-wall and much of the plywood on the lower part of the chicken area of the coop.



This view is looking down the additional area I added for the chickens by turning the wall and making their area L-shaped.

This view is from the corner looking out the inner door from the chicken area of the coop.

Will it ever stop raining?

It rained most of the evening, so I worked a little on the inside of the coop. I put up a sheet of plywood on the wall with the pop door and got the pop door installed. Then I started installing the chicken wire on the top part of the half walls.

Inside is divided.

I picked up some more supplies today and finished framing another small wall for the inside. Since my time was limited, I went ahead and got the walls put in the coop even though I haven't finished the siding and windows. Also let some of the chicks outside for awhile again.


It's kind of hard to see since my phone doesn't have a wide-angle setting, but this is looking in through the door of the coop. There is a framed wall to the left, then an opening for a door into the chick area, then a short wall, then a 90º turn as the wall divides part of the back of the coop for the chickens also. The bottom of the wall will be solid and the top will have chicken wire on it.


Some of the girls enjoy some outside time.


Sassy eating something new from the yard.

Just about finished with the siding.

I completed most of the siding today, but need one more sheet to complete the rest. I got two of the four windows installed and also framed the dividing wall for inside the coop but won't install it inside until I have all the siding and windows installed. Especially since it's supposed to continue raining for the next four days. Then I moved on to priming the sheets of plywood that will cover the walls inside the actual coop area on the chicken's side of the coop.

My hen is a rooster.

The rain came a little earlier today but I was able to get drip edge put around the roof perimeters to help hold the tar paper on. I also got one more piece of siding up. We had a pretty good storm cell come through with some small hail and the tar paper stayed intact.

I've been suspecting for awhile now that the chick I had picked as my pet is a rooster and it's quite apparent now. Chickapoo is a boy. He will probably be going to live with a friend of Isaac's.



Here's a good view of the rooster with the other four Brown Leghorns visible for comparison.

Finished getting the roof on in the rain.

My dad and I finished covering the roof with tar paper this evening as the rain set in. Unfortunately, it's supposed to rain for about a week. If I can get a break in the weather over the weekend, I'll be able to get the rest of the siding on and the windows installed so I can start working on the inside.




lI got the fascia boards on three sides of the taller roof before my dad made it over.

Once my dad arrived, he helped get the fascia board on the peak of the taller roof and we started nailing the plywood to the rafters.

We quickly moved onto the other roof as it started looking more and more like rain.

'My dad helping nail down the plywood on the roof. Shortly after this, it started sprinkling and then a light rain began to fall as we nailed down the last section of plywood. We then nailed down the tar paper and finished about 7:15 p.m.

Just about ready for the roof.

I finished the rafters today after work, along with adding blocking between all the rafters and adding fascia board on the short side of the coop. I just need fascia board around the upper roof and it'll be ready for plywood.

Only 5 rafters left to go.

The good Lord was smiling on me this afternoon as the storms were in every direction around us, but avoided the immediate vicinity, so I was able to finish the rafters on the short side and get 4 of the 9 rafters on the taller side up. I was interrupted briefly when I heard tires squalling and a crash out on North Bend Road. I immediately called 911 and reported a MVC, but didn't respond myself. From what I heard on my pager, there weren't any major injuries. Anyway, the forecast for tomorrow is dry, so hopefully I'll have time after work to finish the rafters and my dad will help get the plywood up so I can keep the inside a little drier.

I finally downloaded a lot of recent photos from the camera to the computer, so I'll also post some photos of the chicks, etc. other than the ones I've taken with my phone.



A few more rafters and the framing is finished, except the inside wall I'll use to divide the coop area from the storage area.




Some of the older photos from the camera.



The morning of March 8 when the chicks arrived via the USPS.

Ordered 5 Golden Comets, 5 Brown Leghorns and 5 Barred Plymouth Rocks. Cackle Hatchery threw in an extra BPR, so a total of 16 chicks.

The chicks' new, temporary brooder.



A Brown Leghorn taking a drink.

Jack and Skippy checking out the new additions on the first morning.

3/12/11-Kelly picked out Sassy as her chick and we marked her head with blue marker.

Sarah's chick, Princess Peach.

Another view of Sassy.

3/17/11-The walnut tree to the south of the coop site. It had a dead area up one side of it, so I decided to cut it down rather than have it blow over in a couple of years and smash the coop. The shade would have been nice for the coop, but would rather not have it smashed.

Damn, I'm good. Dropped it right where I wanted it. The dead, damaged area of the trunk is visible in this photo.

The closest stakes are the run area and then the coop site further back.

This view also shows the dead area up the trunk.

3/17/11-The chicks get moved to their new, larger brooder on their ninth day here.

Baby steps.

I went right to work on the coop after getting home today. Of course, it started sprinkling after I got all the tools out. Then, after I moved everything into the old, metal shed, it stopped. I then managed to get the angled walls above the taller portion of the coop framed and then started on the rafters on the short side. This project is reminding me again that rafters are not my strong suit. I hope the roof turns out looking okay. Looking at the forecast, I probably won't get to work on it again until Wednesday. Chance of rain from now through tomorrow night. Severe weather possible. Glad I got the clerestory wall reinforced with the additional framing tonight. That should keep it standing.

Thanks to my dad, the clerestory wall is up.

I was hoping to get the coop under roof before I returned to work, but it was not to be. I get to return to work tomorrow and rest up after four 9-10 hour days working on the coop. I did finish the wall framing today except for a little more above the taller part of the coop for the roof. Then I'll be cutting the rafters and get the thing covered up. Hopefully, we won't get too much rain before that happens.



The first thing I did this morning was frame the short, slanted walls.

Then my dad came over and helped get the beam up, which is made out of two 2X10s with 1/2-inch plywood in between.

And the funnest part of the day, getting the clerestory wall up on the main beam. A crane would have been nice to have.

Then I moved onto installing siding on the front wall. The opening is where the pop door will be. That's where the chickens go in and out of the coop. It's rather high because I will be using the deep-litter method in the coop, which means there will be about 8 inches of pine shavings in the coop side and if the door is lower, the shavings would be falling out of the coop all the time.

And last, but not least, I got the siding up on the back wall. The next thing I have to do is frame slanted walls above the taller portion for the roof. Then get the rafters on so I can get the roof installed and keep this thing dry.

Starting to look like a building.

I got a lot done today before taking a break to go see Atlas Shrugged.

Enjoying some breakfast.

I gave the chicks some more strawberries this morning. It's cold and windy out, so not sure how much I'll get done today. Also, hoping to go see Atlas Shrugged sometime this weekend.

More progess than expected.

After some rain in the morning, we only got a short downpour later in the day, so I was able to do more than expected. I framed the clerestory wall and the wall where the human door will go. I also finished cutting all the framing lumber. The only things left to cut are the notches for the rafters, the fascia and trim boards, the plywood for the roof and the siding. All those items will be cut when I'm actually installing them. I'll also need to build some roosts once the coop is finished and nest boxes that won't be needed until August. I'll also be running electric to the coop.


This is the clerestory wall. It's sitting upside down. I'll be installing two real windows that can be opened for ventilation as opposed to the photo I posted in an earlier post that has three fixed windows that don't open.
A few photos of the chickens. I need to take some better quality ones with the camera. I've just been using my phone because it's easier to transfer to the computer.

After a productive day yesterday, it's raining today, so not much will get done. Yesterday, I cut a lot more of the framing lumber to size and put together the clerestory header and support studs. I also framed some more walls.

This is the 2X10 header that supports the windows in the clerestory and the vertical support studs for the clerestory.

Another wall framed.

And another partial one. I won't be able to finish this one until I get it nailed to the floor. Then I'll be adding the clerestory framing and the angled wall framing for the shorter portion of the coop where the chickens will live.

A little progress after work.

I had a little time after work today and managed to frame one wall that's rather short, so it's small enough to move to the base later this week. I'll do the other walls on site. After finishing the wall, I cut some more of the lumber to size for the window framing for the back wall and one of the side walls.