Earlier today I posted a picture on our Facebook page about doing something very homesteaderly today. I think I was inspired by yesterday’s post!
I finally went out and bought the supplies I needed to fix the chicken run roof.
Yup, some clear corrugated roofing.
When we built the chicken run last year, we put up a cheap tarp to keep an area of the run dry (because it rains here ya know. A lot!). As you can imagine, after a year out in the elements, that tarp was rather worthless.
So, I prepared my tools, strapped on my belt, and got to work.
First I cut down the ratty old tarp.
Then I measured, marked, and cut the plastic roofing.
While I was working on that, Princess girl was being a great help by removing the nails from some boards I took out down from the chicken run.
And yes, that is Flower Girl up in that tree. She has just discovered that she can climb it with no help.
Look at that face!
Meanwhile, back in the chicken run… I then screwed the cut panels in place, making sure to overlap the edges so that the rain won’t drip through. And, voila! new roof on the chicken run!
This post is proof that you don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment to get work done around the homestead. My toolbelt is not a fancy or totally expensive one, but it gets the job done, and I’ve had it for years and not even absolutely necessary. The drill I used to screw the panels up is a simple little cordless thing, that we again have had for years. And if I didn’t have it, I could have used a hammer and nails. The only specialty tool I used was the tin snips, but again, I could have just used a sharp knife. I didn’t even have a ladder(because it was too big for the job and I didn’t want to drag it into the muddy, mucky chicken run)! I used a combination of a step stool and a sturdy plastic chair we had in the back yard.
With a little ingenuity and the willingness to get dirty, you can accomplish a lot.
And speaking of getting dirty, I decided that since I was already icky from working in there and because it needed to be done, I would clean out the coop and spruce things up.
It looks so nice and bright with the clear panels. I’m looking forward to having dry space in the run again.
We already have to take measures to keep their food dry.
We put their food in a tray to keep it off the soggy ground.
And give them sand to “bathe” in.
I keep their water out in the open rather than under the cover. This serves two purposes. When I fill it and if they spill it, it doesn’t get the protected area all wet. Also, since it is exposed to the rain, God often fills it up for me. 🙂 By elevating it on a cinder block, the girls don’t fowl it nearly as often (pun intended). 😉
Hubby and I are rather proud of our chicken run and coop. We hardly spent any money to put it together. And I realized that I’ve never really shown it off. The coop itself is a cabinet we bought at the Habitat for Humanity Re-store for $2.50. Yup, two dollars and fifty cents!
As you can see from the above picture, I cut a hole in the bottom of one of the doors for the chickens to enter. Inside there are a series of levels and ladders and roosts for the hens to sleep.
There is also a cut out at the middle level where they access the nest box, which is the brown box attached to the side.
We keep the food in a kitchen trash can with a lid. It is the perfect size for a 50lb bag of feed. We also keep a bale of straw wrapped in a tarp under the eve of the house.
Other than the straw, cabinet, and nails and screws (and now the clear roofing panels) we didn’t spend anything to build our run and coop. It is nearly all recycled materials. Even one of the doors is an old screen door.
So, now the coop and run are clean and dry once more.
Do you think the hens care?
Nope.
They are over in the compost corner.
You do what you can with what you have. You start where you are. And nearly everyone, if they’ve got any land at all and it’s legal where they live, could find enough space in their life for a few chickens.
Maridy
“I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121
Castle Rock Homestead 