Baymule
Herd Master
Day 1. Sunshine. Still mud and slop, but sunshine. Got to go rob cow panels from sheep pens. Then replace with a length of sheep and goat wire. Have to move sheep.
Still no dirt.
Still no dirt.
My Little Hoop Coop
- Thread starter fuzzi
- Start date
frustratedearthmother
Herd Master
- Joined
- May 7, 2013
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Working in slop makes a job so much more fun...
Baymule
Herd Master
I’ve been outside destroying previous efforts. Going rather well if I do say so myself. I came in to blow my nose, cool to cold wind drags drippy snot out of my head like a gold miner striking the mother lode. When I can no longer snuff it back up in my head and my throat is dry from breathing through my mouth, I come in, blow my nose and get a drink of water.
1. Stretch of pen wall
This was put together with whatever I had on hand, including 2 clamps courtesy of @Ridgetop’s DH. He gave me 2 bags of these lovely marvelous things. I keep a weather wrench permanently loaded with a 5/8” socket just so I don’t have to go hunt one up. Why I used only 2 of these is beyond me. Just try to explain my thought process, he// I can’t.
2. Dragging panels over the driveway fence.
3. My efforts have rewarded me with 1 cow panel. 2 hog panels, 1/2 of a hog panel,
4. I took down the gate, a piece of horse panel that has been a pain in the north bound backside of a southbound Baymule.
5. Assorted fasteners and the motley assortment of tools required to remove them.
6. All clear now. With DEstruction , next comes REstruction. I measured the span, its 31 feet. Measure 31, cut 32 because I have an extraordinary ability to screw things up.
Break is over, I can breathe now.
1. Stretch of pen wall
This was put together with whatever I had on hand, including 2 clamps courtesy of @Ridgetop’s DH. He gave me 2 bags of these lovely marvelous things. I keep a weather wrench permanently loaded with a 5/8” socket just so I don’t have to go hunt one up. Why I used only 2 of these is beyond me. Just try to explain my thought process, he// I can’t.
2. Dragging panels over the driveway fence.
3. My efforts have rewarded me with 1 cow panel. 2 hog panels, 1/2 of a hog panel,
4. I took down the gate, a piece of horse panel that has been a pain in the north bound backside of a southbound Baymule.
5. Assorted fasteners and the motley assortment of tools required to remove them.
6. All clear now. With DEstruction , next comes REstruction. I measured the span, its 31 feet. Measure 31, cut 32 because I have an extraordinary ability to screw things up.
Break is over, I can breathe now.
- Thread starter
- #14
I'm doing site work today, don't have the panels or lumber yet, waiting on a "ride".
Overview of area (Wednesday evening)
Friday morning, temperature about 70°, slight breeze, ready to GO!
Wood and debris pile is just beyond the piece of tin, close to the white pot.
Raked the area, a Gorilla cart full!
I dumped the leaves in the coop, happy chickens!
I removed the piece of tin roofing material, found some lovely dirt and rotting wood full of insects like earwigs.
Big sticks, vines are headed for the burn pile.
Chickens got a rotted log and some of the dirt, lots of insects, yum!
Wood and leaf pile was here. I moved the debris so I could move the coop site two feet closer to the fence. There's going to be eight feet between the coops, and eight feet between the second coop site and the back fence.
Now I just need the cattle panels and the lumber.
Overview of area (Wednesday evening)
Friday morning, temperature about 70°, slight breeze, ready to GO!
Wood and debris pile is just beyond the piece of tin, close to the white pot.
Raked the area, a Gorilla cart full!
I dumped the leaves in the coop, happy chickens!
I removed the piece of tin roofing material, found some lovely dirt and rotting wood full of insects like earwigs.
Big sticks, vines are headed for the burn pile.
Chickens got a rotted log and some of the dirt, lots of insects, yum!
Wood and leaf pile was here. I moved the debris so I could move the coop site two feet closer to the fence. There's going to be eight feet between the coops, and eight feet between the second coop site and the back fence.
Now I just need the cattle panels and the lumber.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #15
I laughed at your comments, not your progress.
Baymule
Herd Master
I went back outside. I got a partial roll off the pile and rolled it out.
I laid the measuring tape down and cut it with long handled bolt cutters. I love my bolt cutters. No puny little wire cutters for me! No struggling to cut the wire, no sore hands from squeezing as hard as I can, nope. Bolt cutters are freakin awesome!
I rolled it up, tied with hay string and carried it to the sheep pen. I wrapped the end around the T-post on the end and wired it in place. I pulled it to the gate opening, stood the wire up and it was sagging. Hmmmm……. I have a come along, but didn’t want to go through all that rigamarole to get it out, hook it up, blah, blah, blah. I wove a rusty piece of pipe through the wire, looped some hay string around the trailer hitch on the mule and tied the ends to the rusty pipe. I eased the mule forward and broke the hay string. Backed up, tied a new knot in the darned hay string and tried again, reminding myself this ain’t a come along, it’s a sh!t tool for a craptastic job.
I set the brake, cut the mule off and zip tied the wire to the T-posts. I decided it needed 2 more T-posts, went and got the driver and slammed them in the ground. I zip tied the wire to those. Looked pretty darn good. Then I retrieved the half hog panel, used zip tie loops for hinges and carabiners for latches.
The pen looks good and I got panels for the hoop coop.
Tim the dirt man texted and said he’d be here in 30-40 minutes! Whoop!!
I got dirt. I got a lot of dirt, 9 yards.
Tomorrow I play in the dirt!
I laid the measuring tape down and cut it with long handled bolt cutters. I love my bolt cutters. No puny little wire cutters for me! No struggling to cut the wire, no sore hands from squeezing as hard as I can, nope. Bolt cutters are freakin awesome!
I rolled it up, tied with hay string and carried it to the sheep pen. I wrapped the end around the T-post on the end and wired it in place. I pulled it to the gate opening, stood the wire up and it was sagging. Hmmmm……. I have a come along, but didn’t want to go through all that rigamarole to get it out, hook it up, blah, blah, blah. I wove a rusty piece of pipe through the wire, looped some hay string around the trailer hitch on the mule and tied the ends to the rusty pipe. I eased the mule forward and broke the hay string. Backed up, tied a new knot in the darned hay string and tried again, reminding myself this ain’t a come along, it’s a sh!t tool for a craptastic job.
I set the brake, cut the mule off and zip tied the wire to the T-posts. I decided it needed 2 more T-posts, went and got the driver and slammed them in the ground. I zip tied the wire to those. Looked pretty darn good. Then I retrieved the half hog panel, used zip tie loops for hinges and carabiners for latches.
The pen looks good and I got panels for the hoop coop.
Tim the dirt man texted and said he’d be here in 30-40 minutes! Whoop!!
I got dirt. I got a lot of dirt, 9 yards.
Tomorrow I play in the dirt!
- Thread starter
- #17
I enjoy seeing how you workaround difficulties.
- Thread starter
- #18
My "ride" is coming by in the morning, if it's not raining. Forecast is for rain overnight, clear tomorrow.
I don't want to abuse this sweet person's generosity, but I need lumber from the east side of town, and cattle panels from the west side of town. I'll ask him what he can do once he arrives.
And DS has been notified that he will be assisting, as I don't want a 73yo volunteer (with health issues) doing more than driving, and probably securing the loads. My son and I will handle the toting and loading.
I don't want to abuse this sweet person's generosity, but I need lumber from the east side of town, and cattle panels from the west side of town. I'll ask him what he can do once he arrives.
And DS has been notified that he will be assisting, as I don't want a 73yo volunteer (with health issues) doing more than driving, and probably securing the loads. My son and I will handle the toting and loading.
