Putting up the rearing shed

As the chicks are growing and need to go outside soon we need to put up the rearing shed.

Matt (HelpX) and Vicki (family) are preparing a gravel foundation for the base.

Chris (family) is bringing gravel with a trailer and quad from the front of the drive, whenever he manages to draw his attention away from his sweaty feet.

Ann (host) is supervising. Somebody has to stand around and look important.

No, it's not level...hang on, it's not on the gravel...that might be why it's not level.

I think we will put it here. Then it may be level.














After a lot more raking and measuring the six pallets for the base are placed on the gravel and the floor of the shed is screwed into place.

As the first wall piece is going up the lovely Caithness weather turns and it starts to get windy.

Matt is playing peek-a-boo but Arden is not impressed.

The winds is rattling the panels and windows about. After a few improvements to the windows there isn't anything else we can do. Lifting roof panels in 50mph gusts is a fairly impossible and rather dangerous undertaking.

After bracing all the walls and the side we have to abandon the job until the weather improves.















It's been a week since we put the shed walls up and the weather has been fine. Today it's windy again but we have decided to work on the shed anyway.

We have added a new cross beam to rest the roof on. It's stronger than the original one which got lost in transit...

I am sure you can guess by now that we are taking pallets apart, yet again. Matt (helpX) and Ann (host) are "harvesting" the top and bottom timber for the roof panels.

The pallet timber is cut to length and then screwed into place. The original roof panels got damaged and wet, so we decided on a pallet roof instead.

A nice overhang will protect the shed from weathering and increase the roof area.

Getting there... just a few more boards and the roof is as good as new.

Many pallets later the roof is done. Now it needs waterproofing. We will do that with traditional felt. It would be nice to use wood shingles, but there is just not enough time in a day to make a shingle roof for a shed right now. Maybe one day...

The roof on the inside. Looks cosy. It certainly gave the shed a new lease of life. It's sturdier than it ever was.

Next I decided to convert a small part of the shed for the laying hens. The last hen house didn't get any egg laying boxes, so this time I am building them first.

First a looks a bit like a shelf.

Then it looks like a fancy book shelf.

Then it finally starts looking like egg laying boxes.

Should be making doors for the egg laying boxes but my knees are sore, so giving the wall some attention. Wall ? Which wall ?

The pallet timber wall of course. And the door, so that I can enter the chicken coop and clean out.

And as by magic the doors for the egg laying boxes have also appeared... but the door has disappeared. Oh, I am getting tired....

Can't wait to get nice clean eggs once again.

I even get my very own door to access the inside of the coop.

Just need to add perches now and make an automatic door. Well, tomorrow is another day.