Sunday, September 19, 2010

Unexpected Progress!



Today I managed to make a lot of progress!  I got all the fencing up around the coop and also the "top secret coyote deterrent" buried.  For the coyote deterrent, I bought 8 foot by 2 1/2 foot sheets of metal lathe from Home Depot.  They, or your hardware store, will carry it where they keep the stucco materials.  I cut the sheets into 12 inch wide strips so now there were pieces of 8 foot by 1 foot pieces of the lathe.  I dug trenches along the fence line before the fencing was put up about 6 or so inches deep and about a foot wide and layed the lathe in.  What happens is that if a coyote tries to dig under the fence, the lathe will cut the coyote's paws.  It won't harm the coyote, but will smart him enough where he'll/she'll stop and probably won't try it again!  Make sure the lathe is positioned so that when they dig away from the fence , the lathe is turned so that it will cut.  You can easily figure this out by gently running your hand across the lathe both ways and you'll quickly know which is the right way.  Be careful!





Next, when looking for poultry fencing and you need a larger amount, by "stucco netting".  It IS poultry fencing, the same gauge wire, same size, but half the price.  Instead of buying 50 feet of 3 foot high "poultry fencing" for $30, I got 150 feet of 3 foot high "stucco netting" for $45.  Just make sure you get the one that is not backed with paper.


So, it's really coming together.  Now, I just have to cover the top with poultry fencing and put some shade in and make the nesting boxes and roosts inside the coop.  Oh, don't forget a little grass!  Not bad for one weekend. 



7 comments:

  1. The new nest box you won will go good in that beautiful coop!
    Yes, you won the 3 hole nest box from the HenPals Chicken Nest Box giveaway.
    Congratulations!
    Please email me where you would like the nest box sent and we can ship it out today.
    Pam
    gacountrygirl75@gmail.com

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  2. yay!!! i can't believe i won the nesting boxes... thank you pam! so excited. whoo hoo!

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  3. Greetings!

    I've just discovered your blog and I read thru the entire thing! What an amazing journey you have embarked upon...

    We have so much in common: I'm just finishing my MA in Psych and plan on starting my doctorate in the spring; I am just a bit over one year into my own homestead in California, too; I'm an animal lover completely; I also took in an off-track thoroughbred (two vets told me to put her down - she was almost 400 pounds underweight and had a severe gash on her leg that took almost half a year to heal); and I find my peace watching sunsets with my horses (ah, the sound of their soft neighs) listening to my content ducks, and watching my goaties run for a cookie... I'm canning, gardening (we ate for three months straight from the garden!), and well - living my dream.

    How is your partner? I read your blog from oldest to newest and my heart sank when you mentioned cancer... You've been such a warrior to this point - I know you will face this head-on... I'm unfamiliar with the diet you mentioned... But please do keep us up-to-date.

    I'll be reading daily! BTW the coop is amazing! We are just finishing our own aviary (which currenly houses three very pampered lucky-ducks)... So much I want to comment on... Thanks for the pectin - can't tell you how much I hate the store brands... Know of any safe reliable sources for raw cow milk in the Inland Empire? I love animals but the snake would be dead in about three seconds... Arkansas is beautiful - keep looking - it will come when you least expect it - sometimes dreams are discovered with hard work...

    Farmer

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  4. hello farmer! so glad you gave hopped on board! wow, we do have a lot in common. i want to answer some of your questions, and will soon, but have to head back out right now. also... do you have a blog of your own? i would love to look at it if you do. or a fb page? thanks for your thoughtful comment above. i look forward to soon getting back to you.

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  5. I'd say, pretty amazing for one weekend. Hope you are not too sore today! Take care, Inger

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  6. inger - well, it's a "good sore". ha ha!

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  7. Congrats on winning the nesting box! Tho coop looks amazing and like a lot of hard work. I look forward to seeing chicks running around.

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Your comments are much appreciated and enjoyed!