Canesisters 2023 journal - turning my Disasters into Delights

[canesisters]

OK, I need a kick in the britches to get back to work!
So here's the BEFORE picts of the chicken yard expansion.

Yellow is the existing fence line, red is the new fence line.
I've measured 3 times... and IF I MEASURED CORRECTLY I need 98' of fence to complete the new perimeter. I have 105' available between unused parts of rolls and 2 sections that will become interior fences, so I'll be able to cut them out & replace with regular chicken wire.

I need to pick up some chicken feed tonight so I'll be wandering around the hardware isles to find something that I can use as hinges for the gate. Currently the gate (in the above pict) is 2 carabiner clips holding the end of one piece to the end of another piece. The new gate will be a cattle panel cut in half and stood on end to match the 6' tall fence. I need to find a way to attach the cattle panels to the T-posts that will hold them up while allowing them to swing freely.
I think that my kick in the pants will be building and mounting the gates.

Seeing that gate just sitting there in the middle of the yard all by itself is going to drive me nuts...
I think that what's been holding me back is the fear that once I start pulling fence down, there's no going back AND it will need to be finished in 1 day (or a weekend so I'm home to watch while they're loose).
So the plan is to get the posts in and build the gate. Then come Friday (another random day off) I have an entire day or two to move and re-hang fence!

Once that's done... I can take some time to make it 'pretty'.

(backup kick in the britches - the friend who helped me get started with chickens is coming over Sat and I would LOVE for her to see that I'm actually finishing the chicken project that I've been talking about for .... 2 years or so )

 

[canesisters]

There is apparently nothing made to mount a cattle panel to a t-post as a gate. There are "likely" options that might work... for $9 - $22 EACH.

There's 1 guy at my T. Supply that kind of wanders around to help people find things. Poor thing has started hiding in the back when he spots me wandering the hardware isles because I'm almost always trying to invent something.
I picked up 4 long u-bolts for $3 each. No big loss if they end up in the Bits & Pieces in the tool room.

 

[Baymule]

Make a 1X4 wood frame for the cow panel, with cross pieces for sturdiness. Then put your hinges on it. If I read this right, the other piece is cow panel too. Sandwich two 1x4s on each side, attach hinges.

 

[Margali]

@canesisters Idea that might work? Slide a piece of 15/8" chainlink fence post over the tpost. The used the rigid chainlink pannel connector to hook gate to fencepost. The entire fence post will swivel as your hinge evening out load on tpost.

 

[canesisters]

@Baymule I would LOVE to do a frame around the gates because that would look soo much nicer. But, I'm trying to use what's already on the property and I have VERY little treated lumber, mostly 2x4 & 4X4. And a LOT of untreated 2x6.

@Margali that's a great idea! But I need to also attach fencing to the gate post, so that would stop it from spinning.

What I'm going to try, I think, is to pound the posts in so that the flat sides (with the knobbies) are facing out to the fence and the 'T' is toward the gate. Then using a U-bolt around the post & panel, I can secure the vertical of the panel against 1 side of the 'T' - which, I THINK, will let the gate swing 90* into the chicken's yard.
... does that make any sense? It's hard to explain these things sometimes...

BUT - None of it is going to happen any time soon. That nagging mild sprain I've been nursing for a couple of weeks went "POP!" last night and is now a full-blown sprain making my right hand a literal 'pain' to use! I can't possibly pound posts like this.

 

[Baymule]

Take care of that sprain. You gotta stop and let it heal. It sucks to have a non functioning essential body part that sidelines you when in the middle of a project.

 

[Mini Horses]

Tendonitis? I had that happen years ago. One day sore, next day I though it was broken!! Such pain. Meds took care of it quick . So fast, so painful, only reason I went to Dr. I was thinking x-ray.

 

[canesisters]

Tendonitis? I had that happen years ago. One day sore, next day I though it was broken!! Such pain. Meds took care of it quick . So fast, so painful, only reason I went to Dr. I was thinking x-ray.

Very possibly. My sister is trying to insist that I get an x-ray . I can bend in all 4 directions, just no strength in my thumb to grip & hurts to push (but not pull).
It hurt so bad last night that I was afraid that I'd broken something.
... but I was not going to admit that I had done something as dramatic as breaking a bone scooping the litter box! And I was already in my PJs... So rubbed on pain cream, splinted & went to bed.

Isn't that funny though.. If had seen one of my animals flinch & cry out in pain, then limp around whimpering There WOULD have been a $200+ emergency vet ASAP and all night nursing/worrying/watching , but all I get for myself is 'stop whining and go to bed'.

 

[Baymule]

Farmers gotta be tough. Sometimes that makes me plumb stupid. Suck it up and keep going! Doesn’t always work out well…….

 

[SageHill]

Farmers gotta be tough. Sometimes that makes me plumb stupid. Suck it up and keep going! Doesn’t always work out well…….

We aint buttercups