Some of you know this, my husband calls me “Chicken Slumlord”. I don’t exactly create the fanciest accommodations for my animals. First, I always seem to get the creature before preparing for it. (I know, this is exactly what every book warns you not to do. ) Then, I am reluctant to use our good lumber to build a temporary shelter while the real deal is still in the works.
Well, a few days ago, I went outside to begin cleaning out our feed room/storage room/milking room. I thought about how much I did NOT want to drag each goat up the hill from their yard to do the milking. So, I decided to cobble something temporary together until the other half of our mini-barn is finished.
As I debated where this new milking area should be, I found myself in the goat yard deciding to just renovate and expand the goats’ existing “temporary” shelter. It is pictured below on the left. You can also see that I’ve begun leveling an area for the foundation of the expansion.
I had thought I would just put down some concrete blocks and some pallets for the floor but then I decided to do a concrete block patio of sorts.
You can see on the right the t-posts and the pallet that I was going to use for the wall. I don’t know what go a hold of me but, for some reason, I decided this wasn’t good enough. So, I’m going to use actual lumber. I’ve already cut half lap joints in some treated 4×4 posts. Fancy, hey?
It felt so good to get outside and do something that actually got my heart rate up. I’m sore and aching all over but so happy to get my lazy winter butt in gear!
Red Cabin Farm 
Now, that is the work of a true homesteader.
Thanks, Phylisha
I love your style! Our chicken coop was already mostly in place when we moved here. The previous owners had used a portion of the outbuilding, but it didn’t have any roosts or nesting boxes, so we added those and away we went. Later we discovered that the roof leaked, so, again without a lot of research my hubby paid his teenage nephew to put on some new roofing, but one corner still leaks like a sieve. We learned later that we should have tarred the roof prior to putting on the new roofing, so that’s one of our upcoming projects. I have to clean out our coop this weekend, because with all the rain recently one corner of bedding got really wet and now it’s getting pretty stinky in there. Thank goodness the girls spend most of their time free ranging the neighborhood instead of in the coop.
Thanks, Magi. I know it’s just one thing after another, eh?
That sounds familiar… š