The 2nd Movable Chicken Pen Project...

I really enjoy working on projects involving lumber and tools.  I even think someday I might enjoy learning again to weld, and maybe even use a plasma cutter too.  There are so many projects I'd like to try and skills I'd like to improve on. The metal fabrication skills would likely go well with the woodworking in making some neat things.  I enjoy being creative as well as practical.

Last week we started with this....a few boards on the ground.

By the end of the day we had it this far.  A great start for sure.

When we got a chance to work on it again a day or so later we got it completed and moved to the field to begin it's life of usefulness.  We haven't gotten around to getting the chickens into it yet, it was all we could do to move it from the carport area to the field.  Whew, what a chore.

This area is where the water bucket for their waterer sits perfectly.  Also, there is an extra slot for food storage or other items.  Which will come in handy.

Overall it took about 14 hours of working on it to get this completed, as well as a couple trips to Kelly Lumber Supply to get what we needed.  This movable chicken pen is larger than our last one.  The last one I made 8'x8', and this one is 8'x10'.   Between the two pens we will be able to house 95 meat chickens (42 in the smaller one, 53 in the larger one).  It is heavier and bulkier to move, but still we are able to move it OK with 2 people just like we move the other one.

This pen should be all we need to get through the remaining of our chicken production season.  The first chicken tractor cost us in the range of $50, this larger one cost about $75 because we had to buy more products new than the first one.  We had so many scraps and used things on hand for the first one it was down right reasonable to build.  I still don't feel like $125 total for both pens is bad at all.  I appreciate so much when Mr. Wonderful brings home salvaged lumber, supplies, and parts!  It is the equivalent of a bouquet of flowers for me I think. 

Only problem is, working on a gravel surface is proving to be a little painful to the knees.  For Mother's Day the kids got me a foam knee pad for gardening which I use when I need to work on projects now.  It is most helpful!

I think one of the things high on the priority list is to get our shop area enclosed.  Right now it is an open hay shed/carport and soon it will be a 22x36 workshop with an open carport area.  I have a dream about what it will look like inside, and how organized it will be.  Everything would have a place, because right now, nothing has a place and your guess is as good as mine as to where I might find something.

 It will be really exciting to design a nicely functioning workshop.