The pig shelter

 










We are finally working on the pig shelter now the snow has melted. Here is a picture of the floor. The pallets sit on old roof beams. The floor area is 8ft x 8ft (2.4m x 2.4m) which will give the pigs plenty of room to sleep.  

The walls are going up. Securely screwed to the floor and screwed to each other, they should be strong enough to cope with pigs rubbing their backs. Fingers crossed!

The gaps between the pallets are filled with cut down strips of pallets. The quad in the picture is a useful work horse, pulling a trailer to move pallets, tools, roof beams and sheets. Amazing what a kids quad with a tow bar can do.

 

Great day to be working on the pig shelter. Walls are up now. Roof will hopefully be tackled tomorrow. Just hoping the weather stays dry until the roof is on.












Some old roof beams that were collected for firewood seem sound enough to make a roof structure. I also found some pieces of old corrugated metal sheets that should cover the roof.












Beams spaced out and at different height to facilitate water runoff. I might even add some recycled guttering to collect rain water for the pigs. Any ideas? Empty squash bottles spring to mind.

The sheets I found were different colours, so we'll end up with a striped roof. Green and blue. I am going to screw them directly onto the beams.

  










A little silicone will prevent rainwater from seeping through the hole that I drilled for the wood screw.

The roof is finally on although I didn't have enough sheets for the overhang by the door. If I get another sheet sometime I will add it to the roof. For now the roof is finished and keeps the rain out.

Next I am building a ramp for the pigs to get in and out easily. I have cut down a pallet to the width of the entrance. Next I need to add some counter battens as the ramp will be slippy in wet conditions.

The battens are screwed onto the ramp and then cut to size. A job less to worry about. Our first volunteers have joined the project and are enjoying a light breeze (28mph) and a lightly scattered sky (rain every 5 minutes).

Nevertheless they quickly get to work and help me finish the pig shelter as the pigs are arriving today, unexpected but most welcomed. Just a few gaps to close. Will these fit?

Maybe I leave it to daddy, he seems to know what he is doing, I could maybe manage the electric screwdriver but I certainly can't stand like that at the same time, so best to leave such jobs to professionals.

The gaps are just overlapped with whatever wood is lying around. Once cut to length it's screwed on top and bottom.

Nearly finished. Now we just need to add some boards where the roof is higher to make the rainwater run off to make it nice and cosy inside.

There, all done. What a good team effort. Thank you very much, neighbours!

The doors are still missing but they can be built after the pigs have moved in. There will be two doors, one at the top to keep the rain out and let me in, and one at the bottom to keep little piglets in and daddy out, if we ever get any.

Looks warm and dry. Totally irresistible, to a pig, not me. And here they are, nameless and nameless, a fine pair of rescued black kune kune pigs. Any suggestions for names?