I have been remiss in my duties as a blogger by not providing timely updates for my faithful readers.
To summarize the past few weeks (full details will be added as individual posts):
1.) The coop is "done"
2.) The chickens have moved outside
3.) The run is up and the chickens get outdoor time every day
4.) The boys are getting ready for freezer camp - they haven't packed yet, but they are demonstrating interest in going every day.
5.) Two out of four dogs would kill a chicken if given an opportunity
6.) I'm turning into a chicken hoarder (but I promise to stop at my max)
7.) One of the original girls died.
8.) Non-chicken related stuff, too
Showing posts with label coop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coop. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Coop Building - Part 2
Time to raise the roof. What, what?!
The roof was built to have a one foot overhang around the entire structure - so it is 12'x10'. It was built with a 2" over 12" rise (or about a 9 degree rise). In hindsight, this probably should have been a steeper pitch to handle snow and really gusty winds. I guess we'll find out how it handles the snow load next winter. For the wind, each rafter had hurricane ties attached to both ends. But I'm getting ahead of myself...the roof has to be put into place first.
We brought the roof frame out to the coop building from the driveway. Weather was still mild and sunny. The plan was to have two people push the roof up. The other two would grab on and pull into position. To make sure we were "square", each rafter was marked one foot down the length.
Lifting the roof into place was surprisingly easy. Even making sure it was
Once the sheeting was in place, Penny and Jason had to head home to tend to their dogs. Couldn't have gotten the roof up without their help. It was much appreciated. Beers will be offered at a later date.
This was essentially the end of day one. All that was left was to put a tarp over the roof. Tar paper and shingles will be added in about a week (after the rain and snow this week).
Next up is adding the siding and insulation. More on that tomorrow. Only a few more days before the chickens get a much bigger better home.
The roof was built to have a one foot overhang around the entire structure - so it is 12'x10'. It was built with a 2" over 12" rise (or about a 9 degree rise). In hindsight, this probably should have been a steeper pitch to handle snow and really gusty winds. I guess we'll find out how it handles the snow load next winter. For the wind, each rafter had hurricane ties attached to both ends. But I'm getting ahead of myself...the roof has to be put into place first.
We brought the roof frame out to the coop building from the driveway. Weather was still mild and sunny. The plan was to have two people push the roof up. The other two would grab on and pull into position. To make sure we were "square", each rafter was marked one foot down the length.
Lifting the roof into place was surprisingly easy. Even making sure it was
 |
| Jason working on the roof. |
in the proper position was not as bad as I thought it could have been. However, we did find one issue. When framing the roof, the first studs in were place at 12" on center. Good in theory, but this didn't take into account that the frame of the building /would have been at 12 7/8" over...so roof isn't squarely on the coop building...it overhangs by half the width of a 2X4 on both side. This will be handled by adding 7/8" supports sometime later on. The chickens won't care at this point...assuming the whole thing doesn't collapse on itself.
Lesson learned. Time to move on to adding the roof sheeting. This
was also relatively easy. Just throw up 3 4' x 8' exterior grade roofing sheets along with 3 4' x 2' sheets, square them off and pound them into place. Once the sheeting was in place, Penny and Jason had to head home to tend to their dogs. Couldn't have gotten the roof up without their help. It was much appreciated. Beers will be offered at a later date.
This was essentially the end of day one. All that was left was to put a tarp over the roof. Tar paper and shingles will be added in about a week (after the rain and snow this week).
Next up is adding the siding and insulation. More on that tomorrow. Only a few more days before the chickens get a much bigger better home.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Coop Building Has Arrived
Well...the coop building has finally commenced. In fact, it's about 75% complete - at least complete enough for the chickens to move in.
My intent was to have the coop ready for moving day today, but underestimating old age and weather played factors against that goal.
The building plan finally started on Friday after work. The final location was selected previously, but I finally went out to make sure the location was going to work. I cleared out some snow and then measured the space.
I previously mentioned this, but I had to make sure that the structure was going to be within 6 feet of the house so it didn't count as an accessory building. By not being an accessory building, I didn't have to pay for additional permits or have to have the land surveyed again.
So the space chosen is five feet from the house. The structure runs 10 feet wide by 8 feet long. The run will be added later once all the snow is gone and the ground becomes more stable - so I'm hoping by mid May this can be accomplished. Lets see how realistic that is. I'll let you know what the odds are once the Office Skeptic harasses me on Monday.
Where was I? Oh yeah...Friday afternoon. I cleared some snow away and measured the space. Then it came time for setting the foundation. That was a cold mess. It involved a trip to Home Depot and working with cold, wet paver base.
The plan was a cluster-f@#$. I didn't take the time to actually frame out the perimeter (first mistake). Instead, I just kind of placed the blocks where I thought they should go (I did measure for distance, though). I used the paver base to raise the blocks on the sloped side of the space and to even out the other blocks. The first row went fine using this method. The blocks were even and spaced apart correctly. The second row, however, is when things went to hell.
The first block got placed (seemingly) correctly. It was level to itself and to the neighbor block already placed. Then came the block on the end. Again, it level to itself and to the neighbor block. When it was time for the middle block, everything fell apart. When it was level with its neighbor to the north and east, the south one was too short. When I tried to 'fix' that, then it got out of level with the other ones. Long story short, the attempt on Friday night was aborted as my hands started to freeze and it just wasn't coming together.
Let's sleep on it and revisit in the morning.
I like sleep.
On Saturday, the first thing to do was to go pick up the window and siding from the BMO and check out to see if there was any more interior siding to pick up. Nope. So home it was with the goods. Got them unloaded into the garage.
At this point, the idea was to just bring the floor frame out to the foundation supports and see how out of whack everything was. Surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as it seemed from the previous night. Sure, blocks had to move and be re-dug and centered. But with the frame there, it was much easier to see how everything needed to align and to check for level.
Now that that hurdle has been cleared, it was time to put on the floor sheeting. That was a relatively simple task that didn't take too much time.
Then it was off to Menard's for the side windows and other supplies. Originally, the roofing materials were going to be purchased there, but for a few cents more, the decision was to go to Home Depot instead. Off to Home Depot. Now at Home Depot, the roofing pieces were purchased - including all the framing materials and sheathing.
Back home, it was time to have lunch. Dang...lunchtime already and not much has been accomplished.
After lunch, it was time to start cutting wood and framing the roof. It was at this time that I had to head back to Home Depot to rent the framing nail gun again. What a time saver. It was also at this time that I started to panic about how the roof was going to get put on. So a few texts were sent out to friends and happily they accepted and came over a few hours later. Whew...load off my mind.
Once home, it was time to frame the roof and install the walls. This was very simple and didn't take too much time at all - less than two hours.
At this point, it was around 3pm and the friends showed up to help hoist the roof up. But first, they had to help put the windows in. That went pretty quickly. The little side windows took a few minutes each. The big window took a little more time, but was pretty straightforward, too.
Yea! Four walls and a floor done.
Then it was time for the roof. But that part of the story is going to have to wait. It's bedtime. More to come tomorrow.
My intent was to have the coop ready for moving day today, but underestimating old age and weather played factors against that goal.
The building plan finally started on Friday after work. The final location was selected previously, but I finally went out to make sure the location was going to work. I cleared out some snow and then measured the space.
I previously mentioned this, but I had to make sure that the structure was going to be within 6 feet of the house so it didn't count as an accessory building. By not being an accessory building, I didn't have to pay for additional permits or have to have the land surveyed again.
So the space chosen is five feet from the house. The structure runs 10 feet wide by 8 feet long. The run will be added later once all the snow is gone and the ground becomes more stable - so I'm hoping by mid May this can be accomplished. Lets see how realistic that is. I'll let you know what the odds are once the Office Skeptic harasses me on Monday.
Where was I? Oh yeah...Friday afternoon. I cleared some snow away and measured the space. Then it came time for setting the foundation. That was a cold mess. It involved a trip to Home Depot and working with cold, wet paver base.
The plan was a cluster-f@#$. I didn't take the time to actually frame out the perimeter (first mistake). Instead, I just kind of placed the blocks where I thought they should go (I did measure for distance, though). I used the paver base to raise the blocks on the sloped side of the space and to even out the other blocks. The first row went fine using this method. The blocks were even and spaced apart correctly. The second row, however, is when things went to hell.
The first block got placed (seemingly) correctly. It was level to itself and to the neighbor block already placed. Then came the block on the end. Again, it level to itself and to the neighbor block. When it was time for the middle block, everything fell apart. When it was level with its neighbor to the north and east, the south one was too short. When I tried to 'fix' that, then it got out of level with the other ones. Long story short, the attempt on Friday night was aborted as my hands started to freeze and it just wasn't coming together.
Let's sleep on it and revisit in the morning.
I like sleep.
On Saturday, the first thing to do was to go pick up the window and siding from the BMO and check out to see if there was any more interior siding to pick up. Nope. So home it was with the goods. Got them unloaded into the garage.
 | |
| Floor frame and sheeting begun. |
Now that that hurdle has been cleared, it was time to put on the floor sheeting. That was a relatively simple task that didn't take too much time.
Then it was off to Menard's for the side windows and other supplies. Originally, the roofing materials were going to be purchased there, but for a few cents more, the decision was to go to Home Depot instead. Off to Home Depot. Now at Home Depot, the roofing pieces were purchased - including all the framing materials and sheathing.
Back home, it was time to have lunch. Dang...lunchtime already and not much has been accomplished.
 | ||||
| Helper dogs. |
Once home, it was time to frame the roof and install the walls. This was very simple and didn't take too much time at all - less than two hours.
At this point, it was around 3pm and the friends showed up to help hoist the roof up. But first, they had to help put the windows in. That went pretty quickly. The little side windows took a few minutes each. The big window took a little more time, but was pretty straightforward, too.
Yea! Four walls and a floor done.
Then it was time for the roof. But that part of the story is going to have to wait. It's bedtime. More to come tomorrow.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Coop Construction Has Begun
Not much happened in the world of chickens this week. They are still growing and crowing. The growing part has me the most concerned. They have all effectively outgrown their current space. But I have no where else to put them....yet.
Today began the first phase of construction. After toying around with various ideas for what the coop would look like and where it would go, decisions have finally been made. I've settled on a 8' x 10' shed/coop design with a slanted roof. It will sort of look like this. The coop will end up on the south side of the house - originally, it was going to be on the east side, so it would be completely out of view unless you were in the yard. But after looking at space and reading about what's best, it was decided to put them elsewhere (truly, the main deciding factor was that the snow will be gone from the south side of the house later this week if the weather forecast holds.)
So yesterday, plans were drawn up on a post it note, a list of materials was compiled and shopping began. The day started out by stopping at the feed store in Rosemount. Mainly to pick up feed and look to see if they had chicks in yet. No chicks...whew. Not really ready yet, but I do need to think about replacing the boys soon. For such a small operation, they have the best prices on feed and supplies.
After the feed store, it was a quick stop at the Dakota County Library across the street. I had to pay a fine ($ 0.30) and pick up a book on building sheds. The book was mostly to get ideas/plan for the roofing part of the job.
After the library, it was time to go shopping for materials. If you've never been there, you should really stop at the Building Materials Outlet in Eagan if you are doing any sort of home improvement and want to find stuff on the cheap. You have to dig around, but there are some great finds.
I was going to the BMO primarily to find windows for the coop. From what I've read, I should be planning on one square foot of ventilation for each bird. Simple math tells me I need 20 sq ft of ventilation if I max out my permit. I think I went overboard. At the BMO, there was a 72" x 60" double slider window for $105. This was perfect. The chickens will have a great view, will get plenty of sun and will have ample ventilation when needed - they'll be the envy of all the other chickens in the area.
The decision to buy this window also presented me with which way to orient the coop - the 10' side will run parallel to the house. The big 'picture window' will be in the front along with the chickens pop up door (how they can get out during the day).
Then I decided that there should be windows on the sides to allow for cross ventilation. There were options at the BMO, but the prices were actually better at Menard's, so I will get those there.
However, I didn't actually buy the window on Saturday - I didn't have a way to get it home. So I'm going back on Wednesday and hoping it is still there....it'll truly suck if it isn't...more on that in a bit.
The only thing I did end up buying was the exterior man door. There was a decent plain white insulated exterior door that I got. About a third the price of one at the home improvement stores.
The exterior siding and interior wall coverings were also available for about a third of the price of buying new at a home improvement store. The option for the siding is limited to one style, but I don't think the chickens will complain. I know I won't.
That was it for Saturday.
This morning, it was off to Menard's again and Home Depot to pick up lumber. Anyone who has shopped at Menard's for lumber before knows there stuff is VERY hit and miss for quality. In fact, I didn't even buy any new lumber from there this morning - just insulation (since it was on sale) and a few other miscellaneous parts.
Quick aside...I had purchased some lumber a few weeks ago for an aborted attempt to start on the coop before the last snow storm. I used most of that, plus new stuff I got today.
So it was off to Home Depot to get the rest of the lumber. I ended up spending around $125 total on all lumber. I still need to get some of the roof pieces next weekend, though (the 12' lengths wouldn't fit in the car). So all in, I'll be at around $150 for lumber. I also rented a framing nail gun. Man, what a time saver that turned out to be.
Anyway, so once I got the lumber home, it was time for lunch - priorities, right? During lunch, the plan was refined to include the windows and door framing. After lunch, it was time to begin building.
The floor was the hardest part. The pressure treated wood was still pretty wet and heavy, so driving the screws into it took longer than expected. It was a good idea to use joist hangers, too.
Once the floor was done and put to the side, it was time to work on the walls. The first wall was put together pretty quickly. But! This is also when it was discovered that the plans weren't exactly accurate. A critical component was overlooked when drawing up the plans - you need to account for the width of the wood...d'oh! Oh well...lesson learned. The only place it really mattered was for the placement of the window studs. One of the studs had to be cut out and moved. Worst thing that happened is the chickens will have a window slightly off centered. I'm sure it will bug them to no end, but what are you gonna do?
After that small set back, the rest of the framing all went very smooth. It took around 2 1/2 hours to build all four walls and the floor. This is where the issue of not buying the window on Saturday comes in.
The front was was framed out taking into consideration the window that was at the BMO that will be picked up on Wednesday. If it is sold before then, I'm not sure what to do. The front frame is 70 sq feet - 30 of which will be holding a window. If that window isn't there, I'll have to come up with a new plan and re-work the opening. Re-work...ish.
So that's the update for now. I didn't take any pictures of the process as it really was quite boring without much to see. When the coop raising happens next weekend (come hell or high water, it's happening next weekend), I'll document the process.
Today began the first phase of construction. After toying around with various ideas for what the coop would look like and where it would go, decisions have finally been made. I've settled on a 8' x 10' shed/coop design with a slanted roof. It will sort of look like this. The coop will end up on the south side of the house - originally, it was going to be on the east side, so it would be completely out of view unless you were in the yard. But after looking at space and reading about what's best, it was decided to put them elsewhere (truly, the main deciding factor was that the snow will be gone from the south side of the house later this week if the weather forecast holds.)
So yesterday, plans were drawn up on a post it note, a list of materials was compiled and shopping began. The day started out by stopping at the feed store in Rosemount. Mainly to pick up feed and look to see if they had chicks in yet. No chicks...whew. Not really ready yet, but I do need to think about replacing the boys soon. For such a small operation, they have the best prices on feed and supplies.
After the feed store, it was a quick stop at the Dakota County Library across the street. I had to pay a fine ($ 0.30) and pick up a book on building sheds. The book was mostly to get ideas/plan for the roofing part of the job.
After the library, it was time to go shopping for materials. If you've never been there, you should really stop at the Building Materials Outlet in Eagan if you are doing any sort of home improvement and want to find stuff on the cheap. You have to dig around, but there are some great finds.
I was going to the BMO primarily to find windows for the coop. From what I've read, I should be planning on one square foot of ventilation for each bird. Simple math tells me I need 20 sq ft of ventilation if I max out my permit. I think I went overboard. At the BMO, there was a 72" x 60" double slider window for $105. This was perfect. The chickens will have a great view, will get plenty of sun and will have ample ventilation when needed - they'll be the envy of all the other chickens in the area.
The decision to buy this window also presented me with which way to orient the coop - the 10' side will run parallel to the house. The big 'picture window' will be in the front along with the chickens pop up door (how they can get out during the day).
Then I decided that there should be windows on the sides to allow for cross ventilation. There were options at the BMO, but the prices were actually better at Menard's, so I will get those there.
However, I didn't actually buy the window on Saturday - I didn't have a way to get it home. So I'm going back on Wednesday and hoping it is still there....it'll truly suck if it isn't...more on that in a bit.
The only thing I did end up buying was the exterior man door. There was a decent plain white insulated exterior door that I got. About a third the price of one at the home improvement stores.
The exterior siding and interior wall coverings were also available for about a third of the price of buying new at a home improvement store. The option for the siding is limited to one style, but I don't think the chickens will complain. I know I won't.
That was it for Saturday.
This morning, it was off to Menard's again and Home Depot to pick up lumber. Anyone who has shopped at Menard's for lumber before knows there stuff is VERY hit and miss for quality. In fact, I didn't even buy any new lumber from there this morning - just insulation (since it was on sale) and a few other miscellaneous parts.
Quick aside...I had purchased some lumber a few weeks ago for an aborted attempt to start on the coop before the last snow storm. I used most of that, plus new stuff I got today.
So it was off to Home Depot to get the rest of the lumber. I ended up spending around $125 total on all lumber. I still need to get some of the roof pieces next weekend, though (the 12' lengths wouldn't fit in the car). So all in, I'll be at around $150 for lumber. I also rented a framing nail gun. Man, what a time saver that turned out to be.
Anyway, so once I got the lumber home, it was time for lunch - priorities, right? During lunch, the plan was refined to include the windows and door framing. After lunch, it was time to begin building.
The floor was the hardest part. The pressure treated wood was still pretty wet and heavy, so driving the screws into it took longer than expected. It was a good idea to use joist hangers, too.
Once the floor was done and put to the side, it was time to work on the walls. The first wall was put together pretty quickly. But! This is also when it was discovered that the plans weren't exactly accurate. A critical component was overlooked when drawing up the plans - you need to account for the width of the wood...d'oh! Oh well...lesson learned. The only place it really mattered was for the placement of the window studs. One of the studs had to be cut out and moved. Worst thing that happened is the chickens will have a window slightly off centered. I'm sure it will bug them to no end, but what are you gonna do?
After that small set back, the rest of the framing all went very smooth. It took around 2 1/2 hours to build all four walls and the floor. This is where the issue of not buying the window on Saturday comes in.
The front was was framed out taking into consideration the window that was at the BMO that will be picked up on Wednesday. If it is sold before then, I'm not sure what to do. The front frame is 70 sq feet - 30 of which will be holding a window. If that window isn't there, I'll have to come up with a new plan and re-work the opening. Re-work...ish.
So that's the update for now. I didn't take any pictures of the process as it really was quite boring without much to see. When the coop raising happens next weekend (come hell or high water, it's happening next weekend), I'll document the process.
Monday, January 17, 2011
New Birds
I think I may have started a new addiction. But I promise I won't get to the point of hoarding (see episode 40).
Last Saturday (January 8), I acquired two new chickens. They were 4
week old Turken (or Naked Neck) mutts. The best guess from the message boards is they were crossed with Leghorns based on some of the other characteristics. I don't know. Maybe. I just think they're kinda cool looking. Keep reading to find out why I know they are mutts.
How does one find Naked Neck chickens in the middle of winter in Minnesota? Craig's List. I was doing a random search for coops/sheds/playhouses - something I can get relatively inexpensively to house the chickens once they outgrow their brooder and keep them safe
from predators/etc. Instead of finding a home, I found new chickens.
The guy (I'll call him the Random Russian) said he had a few of the breeds I would like to have in my flock - Turkens, Chantecler (because they are very cold hardy), and Brahmas (I think they are cool because of the feathered feet).
On a side note, I've decided the direction for my flock is going to go in a different direction. At first I just wanted dual purpose chickens (both egg layers and good for meat) that were docile and good egg producers. Now, I've decided I want cool looking chickens. If I could have roosters, that would be much easier to accomplish, but with hens, they don't get the great coloring that the boys do.
The guy (I'll call him the Random Russian) said he had a few of the breeds I would like to have in my flock - Turkens, Chantecler (because they are very cold hardy), and Brahmas (I think they are cool because of the feathered feet).
On a side note, I've decided the direction for my flock is going to go in a different direction. At first I just wanted dual purpose chickens (both egg layers and good for meat) that were docile and good egg producers. Now, I've decided I want cool looking chickens. If I could have roosters, that would be much easier to accomplish, but with hens, they don't get the great coloring that the boys do. Back on topic....During the course of our e-mail exchanges, I asked if he had some Chanteclers, Turkens and Brahmas. He said he had Turkens and Brahmas. I thought, great. Two more breeds I wanted to add to my growing flock. He explained he'd have some Chanteclers in the spring. I told him I'd be interested when they hatched out.
After a few e-mail exchanges (which I am know discovering that the person I was dealing with did not use English as his first language), I told him I would like the Turkens and Brahmas. He said he didn't have any Brahmas. My bad, I thought, but I still decided to drive up to Blaine and pick up a couple of Turken chicks. Before heading up there, I was trying to figure out how he kept chickens in Blaine. Is there farm land? I didn't think so, but what do I know
After a few e-mail exchanges (which I am know discovering that the person I was dealing with did not use English as his first language), I told him I would like the Turkens and Brahmas. He said he didn't have any Brahmas. My bad, I thought, but I still decided to drive up to Blaine and pick up a couple of Turken chicks. Before heading up there, I was trying to figure out how he kept chickens in Blaine. Is there farm land? I didn't think so, but what do I know
I enlisted a friend of mine to go with me on the trip to Blaine. You never know with this Craig's List stuff who you may run into. I had to promise her I would go out for cocktails the night before, so she stayed in the guest room so we'd be ready to go early.
I readied a box with some pine shavings and we left on the 45 minute road trip at 8:15. I met the Random Russian at his home - which turned out to be just a regular house in the middle of a suburban sub-division - and he directed me to wait outside the garage. Ah...now it is making sense.
He opened the garage door, we slid in - keeping an eye on the neighbors so we didn't look too shady. In a corner of the garage was a pretty sweet set up for the chicks he was trying to sell. It's what gave me the idea for my brooder. Anyway, in the brooder are a bunch of chicks. Right away I noticed one of the Turkens had feathery legs. That's not right.
Then it dawned on me that when he was telling me what breeds he had, the Brahma was a rooster only. This lead me to the conclusion that all his chickens were actually mutts. The Random Russian confirmed this over a couple of exchanges about how he kept his flock - the boys/girls all roamed together - he didn't keep his breeds separate. No big deal. The chicks were still pretty cool looking.
Now I'm up to 14 chickens. Based on the size of the combs on some of them, I think I have five boys in my original batch(es). I'll know more in a couple of weeks as more feathers come in and I can post pictures on the message boards to get help from the experts.
To help feed my new addiction, I will be going to a chicken swap in New Ulm in a few weeks to see if anyone has any of the other breeds I'm looking to get. In addition to the Brahmas or Chateclers, I'd like to get Wyandottes (preferably Blue Laced Red), Black Copper Marans (they aren't very cold hardy, but if someone local has them, then I can ask questions about their line), or Ameraucanas (they aren't particularly neat looking, but produce colored eggs) or their crosses. Ameraucanas produce blue eggs, but crosses - called Easter Eggers - do produce blue and green shades. I also like Plymouth Rock (the Barred variety) and Opringtons (the buff one).
I readied a box with some pine shavings and we left on the 45 minute road trip at 8:15. I met the Random Russian at his home - which turned out to be just a regular house in the middle of a suburban sub-division - and he directed me to wait outside the garage. Ah...now it is making sense.
He opened the garage door, we slid in - keeping an eye on the neighbors so we didn't look too shady. In a corner of the garage was a pretty sweet set up for the chicks he was trying to sell. It's what gave me the idea for my brooder. Anyway, in the brooder are a bunch of chicks. Right away I noticed one of the Turkens had feathery legs. That's not right.
Then it dawned on me that when he was telling me what breeds he had, the Brahma was a rooster only. This lead me to the conclusion that all his chickens were actually mutts. The Random Russian confirmed this over a couple of exchanges about how he kept his flock - the boys/girls all roamed together - he didn't keep his breeds separate. No big deal. The chicks were still pretty cool looking.
Now I'm up to 14 chickens. Based on the size of the combs on some of them, I think I have five boys in my original batch(es). I'll know more in a couple of weeks as more feathers come in and I can post pictures on the message boards to get help from the experts.
To help feed my new addiction, I will be going to a chicken swap in New Ulm in a few weeks to see if anyone has any of the other breeds I'm looking to get. In addition to the Brahmas or Chateclers, I'd like to get Wyandottes (preferably Blue Laced Red), Black Copper Marans (they aren't very cold hardy, but if someone local has them, then I can ask questions about their line), or Ameraucanas (they aren't particularly neat looking, but produce colored eggs) or their crosses. Ameraucanas produce blue eggs, but crosses - called Easter Eggers - do produce blue and green shades. I also like Plymouth Rock (the Barred variety) and Opringtons (the buff one).
Monday, December 20, 2010
Coop Update
Jumping in mid-story...
As I'm finding out how to get my permit finalized to have the chickens, I find out that I may not be able to have a coop on my property wihtout jumping through a bunch of hoops and paying a butt load in consultant fees.
The city planner (again, she seems like a nice enough person) tells me about the rules for accessory buildings and what the restictions are. As we're talking, we're both going through the zoning ordinance. What it sounds like is if the accessory building is one that is more than six feet from the primary dwelling and at least 25 ft from the property line.
Whew. Sounds like everything is going to be okay. The coop is going to be near the house, outside the sub-garage (yes, I have a two story garage). It will be less than 120 sq ft (I'm not sure if I'll do an 8x12 or a 10x10) so I don't have to get a building permit.
Hold on, Big Shooter. There's a catch.
In order to do any "site improvements", a site survey is required. Even for a shed. That's next to the house. The consultant fee starts at $400 for the site survey. And will most likely be much more expensive once the surveyor is hired. Oh, this got the blood boiling. I just closed on this house in September. I have a property survey from then. Why do I need another one? Nothing has changed. Augh.
My options at this point:
Whatever I decide, I need to shit or get off the pot, soon. I have chickens hatching this weekend.
As I'm finding out how to get my permit finalized to have the chickens, I find out that I may not be able to have a coop on my property wihtout jumping through a bunch of hoops and paying a butt load in consultant fees.
The city planner (again, she seems like a nice enough person) tells me about the rules for accessory buildings and what the restictions are. As we're talking, we're both going through the zoning ordinance. What it sounds like is if the accessory building is one that is more than six feet from the primary dwelling and at least 25 ft from the property line.
Whew. Sounds like everything is going to be okay. The coop is going to be near the house, outside the sub-garage (yes, I have a two story garage). It will be less than 120 sq ft (I'm not sure if I'll do an 8x12 or a 10x10) so I don't have to get a building permit.
Hold on, Big Shooter. There's a catch.
In order to do any "site improvements", a site survey is required. Even for a shed. That's next to the house. The consultant fee starts at $400 for the site survey. And will most likely be much more expensive once the surveyor is hired. Oh, this got the blood boiling. I just closed on this house in September. I have a property survey from then. Why do I need another one? Nothing has changed. Augh.
My options at this point:
- Build the new coop, but attach it to the house.
- Convert the existing shed into the coop.
- Keep the chickens in the sub-garage.
Whatever I decide, I need to shit or get off the pot, soon. I have chickens hatching this weekend.
Permit Update
I've been getting harassed at work for not posting an update. So much, yet nothing, has happened over the past few days. There will be a few posts coming - each with a different topic. Unless I start to ramble, then who knows what you'll get.
I finally got the permit application from the city. To me, this should have been a no-brainer. Fill out some paperwork, send in a check, and I'd have my permit. But no. Not so easy in a small town.
I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but I live in a very small town in the middle of the Twin Cities metro area. There are no city services - everything is contracted out. For the permit, I'm actually dealing with two consultants that the city hired. The city planner and the city Forrester. Both are nice people, but there is a level of bureaucracy I have to deal with that I hadn't anticipated. The Forrester is the person who will be approving the permit; however the city planner is the one who handles all the paperwork. As there are no city employees, the citizens with permit requests are the ones who end up paying for the administrative work instead of all the taxpayers. Fair, I guess, but not something I was expecting. An unintended expense.
The Forrester stopped by last week (Wednesday) with the permit application along with some instructions on how to fill out the form, who to write the check to and to add some additional details to the application around what I will and won't do, etc. The following day, I started to fill out the form and had a question. Since I was sending the information to the city planner, I called her. She gave me the answers I was looking. As we were talking, I confirmed a piece of information that I got from the Forrester the previous day. Each property can only have one primary and one accessory building on it, unless I applied for a conditional use permit.
My property has a house and a shed, so where am I going to put a coop? See coop update for details.
Back to the chicken permit.
I wrote up my proposal - I would have up to 20 hens (something the city said I could have); no roosters into adulthood (I wanted to protect myself for hatching eggs), the chickens would be housed in an appropriate coop (again, see coop update for details) and run; and they would not free range unless under direct supervision.
Well, this wasn't thorough enough. I had to revise my statement to add what materials the run would be made from, how I was going to keep feed, etc so as not to encourage pests, and how I was going to handle manure.
The permit is in the mail along with my check. Now I'm just waiting to be legal. Hope it comes before the chickens hatch.
I finally got the permit application from the city. To me, this should have been a no-brainer. Fill out some paperwork, send in a check, and I'd have my permit. But no. Not so easy in a small town.
I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but I live in a very small town in the middle of the Twin Cities metro area. There are no city services - everything is contracted out. For the permit, I'm actually dealing with two consultants that the city hired. The city planner and the city Forrester. Both are nice people, but there is a level of bureaucracy I have to deal with that I hadn't anticipated. The Forrester is the person who will be approving the permit; however the city planner is the one who handles all the paperwork. As there are no city employees, the citizens with permit requests are the ones who end up paying for the administrative work instead of all the taxpayers. Fair, I guess, but not something I was expecting. An unintended expense.
The Forrester stopped by last week (Wednesday) with the permit application along with some instructions on how to fill out the form, who to write the check to and to add some additional details to the application around what I will and won't do, etc. The following day, I started to fill out the form and had a question. Since I was sending the information to the city planner, I called her. She gave me the answers I was looking. As we were talking, I confirmed a piece of information that I got from the Forrester the previous day. Each property can only have one primary and one accessory building on it, unless I applied for a conditional use permit.
My property has a house and a shed, so where am I going to put a coop? See coop update for details.
Back to the chicken permit.
I wrote up my proposal - I would have up to 20 hens (something the city said I could have); no roosters into adulthood (I wanted to protect myself for hatching eggs), the chickens would be housed in an appropriate coop (again, see coop update for details) and run; and they would not free range unless under direct supervision.
Well, this wasn't thorough enough. I had to revise my statement to add what materials the run would be made from, how I was going to keep feed, etc so as not to encourage pests, and how I was going to handle manure.
The permit is in the mail along with my check. Now I'm just waiting to be legal. Hope it comes before the chickens hatch.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Which Comes First? The chicken, the egg, or permission from the city?
I live in a small town within the Twin Cities metropolitan area. I just moved here a couple of months ago (Sept 2010). In my old neighborhood (3.5 miles up the road), there were only a handful of neighbors that I knew well enough to talk to and that was fine. Where I live now, there are only 500 residents. And I get the feeling that most of them know who I am.
Back on election day, I had to register to vote. I had no idea who I was voting for in the local elections, but I did my best to choose correctly (is alphabetically an appropriate voting technique?) Anyway, the election judges were very nice, helpful and chatty. The city clerk was there and I wanted to ask her about permits for the chickens. She told me I had to contact the city planner, but since I was leaving on vacation the next day, I put it off until I got back.
I get home from vacation the weekend before Thanksgiving. I called the city planner on Wednesday, 11/24 to ask her about permits, etc. She was waiting for my phone call. She had already researched the information and told me what I needed to do. I had to contact the city forester to get the permit. There were no other restrictions.
During the course of our call together, she mentioned that she was asked to come up with a proposal to present to the city council at the December meeting to better define the ordinances for farm animals. Apparently my seemingly innocent inquiry on election day turned into a bigger deal than I thought it would. The city wants to change the rules.
The city forester has never had to do this before, so he is looking for guidance as well. He and his wife actually stopped by the house yesterday. He told me he was going to wait until after the city council meeting. No big deal, but I would like my permit now so I can be grandfathered into the current rules, in case the new ones become too restrictive.
So it looks like I will be attending the city council meeting to hear the proposal. I plan on asking questions and making sure I can get my permit now. I have eggs hatching on Christmas so I'd like to be legal by then.
Back on election day, I had to register to vote. I had no idea who I was voting for in the local elections, but I did my best to choose correctly (is alphabetically an appropriate voting technique?) Anyway, the election judges were very nice, helpful and chatty. The city clerk was there and I wanted to ask her about permits for the chickens. She told me I had to contact the city planner, but since I was leaving on vacation the next day, I put it off until I got back.
I get home from vacation the weekend before Thanksgiving. I called the city planner on Wednesday, 11/24 to ask her about permits, etc. She was waiting for my phone call. She had already researched the information and told me what I needed to do. I had to contact the city forester to get the permit. There were no other restrictions.
During the course of our call together, she mentioned that she was asked to come up with a proposal to present to the city council at the December meeting to better define the ordinances for farm animals. Apparently my seemingly innocent inquiry on election day turned into a bigger deal than I thought it would. The city wants to change the rules.
The city forester has never had to do this before, so he is looking for guidance as well. He and his wife actually stopped by the house yesterday. He told me he was going to wait until after the city council meeting. No big deal, but I would like my permit now so I can be grandfathered into the current rules, in case the new ones become too restrictive.
So it looks like I will be attending the city council meeting to hear the proposal. I plan on asking questions and making sure I can get my permit now. I have eggs hatching on Christmas so I'd like to be legal by then.
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