Author Topic: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed  (Read 13492 times)

Offline awemawson

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Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« on: April 08, 2018, 05:58:51 AM »
This is not a project I wanted - in fact I've resisted it until the domestic pressure has got too great  :zap:

A chicken shed - with a design not entirely practical. The idea I think was that having it on wheels, and with a slatted floor, it could be moved rather than having to muck it out, and the chicken poo would fall through the slats.

In practise this didn't work well at all - the poo sat on the slats, but far more seriously the badgers grabbed chicken legs from below and bit their feet off. Not nice to find in the morning and certainly not nice for the chicken  :bang:

So some years ago I put galvanised sheeting over the slats. But slowly and surely, like all these things it rotted from the bottom being close to wet earth, and no doubt the rats helped the process by gnawing away as well.

My offered (and favourite) solution was to lay a slab of concrete and build a brick chicken shed along the lines of my Pig Palaces, but this didn't meet with approval despite the fact it would be virtually maintenance free for decades to come. (Apparently we have too much brick work about the place  :bang:)

So having previously prepared the ground for a masonry construction, I'm now having to try and make a Silk Purse out of this Sows Ear of a shed.

It's fragile as the base is rotten. The wheels have fallen off the rotten timbers of the base and SOMEHOW it needs lifting two foot off the ground and suspended so the the base on which it was built and the slatted floor can be cut away and replaced. I ended up nailing some re-inforcing timbers across the narrow side internally knocking a plank off at each end, and threading scaffold poles through which I could then jack up onto 'builders band stands'

It would be SO much better to dowse it in a gallon of paraffin and toss a match in  :scratch:

So it was about this stage I started taking photos - so we start when I've got it up on the band stands (one of which is in an extremely dodgy state itself and is going to need repair)
« Last Edit: April 11, 2018, 03:52:55 PM by awemawson »
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2018, 06:10:28 AM »
So the next step (quick before it ALL collapses) remove the three lower planks to give access to the base to perform butchery on it's fixings. Hopefully I can match the shiplap timbers when it all goes back together - it looks to be a fairly standard 6" profile.

Then out comes the reciprocating saw - one of those rarely used tools that in this case was indispensable - cutting through screws between two timber baulks. At this stage the slatted floor fell out along with other bits of the structure that I wanted to retain  :bang: Never mind, they nailed back ok !
« Last Edit: April 08, 2018, 06:36:26 AM by awemawson »
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2018, 06:26:02 AM »
Next step - make a new base and floor - solid floor this time from 18 mm shuttering ply with the steel sheets I'd previously fitted fixed below to give the rats a head-ache.

Now it just so happens I have a pile of nominally 3"x 3" rough sawn timber that had arrived as cribbing for the steel work for the tractor shed - it's a bit irregular in sizing but none of the base will show. It is of course pretty poor quality soft stuff, but it should last if given a good soaking in genuine Creosote.

So Saturday afternoon I cut it to size - I've decided to add two cross braces that weren't part of the original design making four lengths for the short side and two for the long side in a ladder format.

Had to curtail activity at that point as was due at a friends 80th birthday celebrations.

Then this morning, despite a slight hang over and a very late night (well actually early morning!) I cut all the halving joints and made a trial lay out on the woodwork shop floor.

I need to order up some genuine Creosote before I can do much more - I have 'Creosote Substitute' which is OK for fences but no use for stuff that sits on the ground.
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline John Rudd

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2018, 06:39:13 AM »
Those pig palaces, I mistakenly took them as a new house build.....it looked so good...  :bow:
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Offline SwarfnStuff

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2018, 03:02:36 AM »
Ah, I see another "Sit with coffee" read coming up.  :coffee: :coffee: :coffee:    Just waiting for the next installment.
Thanks Andrew,
Your posts are always a good read.
John B
Converting good metal into swarf sometimes ending up with something useful. ;-)

Offline Eugene

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2018, 04:18:19 AM »
Andrew,

Been there, done that, and didn't think it was worth the journey.

When I'd finished mine (bit bigger than yorn)  I stood back, still didn't like it and put it into a farm sale, then used the proceeds to buy some Tanalised timber to make something smaller, neater and lighter.

One tip for the wood thats in contact with the soil and water; put a layer of 1/4" ish plastic material underneath, it makes a huge difference to longevity. I first did that with some kennels about fifteen years back, and they're still as good as new. The base was Tanalised though, so that's obviously helped. The latest gazebo / workshop is the same.

Kennel base ...

Workshop .....

Eug

Offline Pete W.

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2018, 04:28:24 AM »
Hi there, Andrew,

There's something quietly satisfying about your photo showing the real carpentry bench.  I bet you can chop out mortices on that without it flexing more than an odd micron or two! 
Best regards,

Pete W.

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, you haven't seen the latest design change-note!

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2018, 08:28:37 AM »
Yes Pete, genuine Ex School workshop complete with chewing gum stuck under the top  :lol:

So today's job - get some Creosote ordered. Much to my surprise my local farm supply place was no more expensive than ordering it on line - usually they are a good 25% if not more, more expensive. So a quick trip to Rye (20 mile round trip) produced a 25 litre drum (£58 inc VAT) and back home to put it on.
 
I'd intended to up end the timbers and soak the end grain in a bucket, but the sheer volume made that impractical so I dug out my sprayer. This is the type that you see road gangs spraying tar emulsion to seal the edges of new work. 5 Litre tank and a hand pump like a garden sprayer on steroids.

OK empty the 'Creosote Substitute' that was in it, fill with the genuine stuff, and off we go . .. until it blocks  :bang:  A bit of 'back flushing' with an airline unblocked it and off we go . . . until it blocks. Obviously some junk in the tank. Never mind, press on, get the job finished then sort it out.

Creosote back into it's drum, a litre of red diesel in the tank, much bubbling and spurting as the airline did it's stuff and we are good to go. Pump it up, suddenly no resistance to the pump, piston has come off the plunger  :bang:

Simple pull apart, and re-assemble and I 'think' it's ok for next time. Simple 5 minute job turns into a couple of hours and a major clean up - still it's done and will take a couple of days for it to soak in and dry.

Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #8 on: April 09, 2018, 08:44:35 AM »
Andrew,

Been there, done that, and didn't think it was worth the journey.

When I'd finished mine (bit bigger than yorn)  I stood back, still didn't like it and put it into a farm sale, then used the proceeds to buy some Tanalised timber to make something smaller, neater and lighter.

One tip for the wood thats in contact with the soil and water; put a layer of 1/4" ish plastic material underneath, it makes a huge difference to longevity. I first did that with some kennels about fifteen years back, and they're still as good as new. The base was Tanalised though, so that's obviously helped. The latest gazebo / workshop is the same.



Eugene,

It's going back on the wheels and they are probably going to be sat on flagstones, so it should be ok as is I hope
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline DaveS

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2018, 05:26:17 PM »
An idea for a colour scheme :bugeye:

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2018, 05:28:44 PM »
 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Absolutely NOT - not on my land thank you!

Nice shade of BLACK creosote thankyou
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #11 on: April 10, 2018, 05:08:27 AM »
I took the opportunity of having an early visitor to help me lug out the 8x4 sheet of shuttering ply and cut it to size for the floor. So much easier with two of you!

Then a quick spray with creosote - except again it proved to be far from quick as the sprayer blocked AGAIN  :ddb:

This time I was determined to get to the bottom of the problem. Total dis-assembly of the tank, hose and fittings, a really thorough clean out and internal inspection with a torch, then a test using red diesel.

I thought I was being a bit anal using a cellulose paint spraying filter funnel to fill her up - no issues with the red diesel but just look at what was in the Creosote. No wonder it kept getting clogged, and simply avoided by filling through a filter, but it never occurred to me that the stuff would have so much in the way of contaminants.

This sprayer has given me issues over several years and now I know why - filter what you are spraying  :ddb:

Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline AdeV

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2018, 02:27:37 PM »
I thought they'd banned real creosote  :scratch: Obviously not... but as I'll have to do all of the fences around my house this year, I'd rather use the real thing than some half-useless substitute...
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #13 on: April 10, 2018, 03:15:32 PM »
Genuine Creosote is not available to the general public Ade, however it IS available to farmers for use where direct public contact is not likely. So preserving fence posts and chicken sheds but not for instance benches that people will sit on

Creosote Substitute, like many of these replacement products, is pretty useless other than as a water repellent and colouring agent.
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline modeng200023

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #14 on: April 11, 2018, 02:54:01 AM »
Because of the ban on creosote I have used the waterbased fence treatment. Now that is really useless. It lasted about six months before the wood started going green. So since then I have used the substitute for creosote and have to say that it is much better in that it has lasted around two years without degradation. Nothing like the real thing but the powers that be think that I am not capable of doing things properly  :doh:

Offline Jo

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #15 on: April 11, 2018, 03:46:51 AM »
Creosote is available on the web for delivery... of course you have to say it will not be used on a domestic property.

My current choice of "shed/fence preservative" is one part old Diesel engine oil and one part of the modern creacote-crap stuff. The garage that I take my car for servicing is only too pleased to provide old engine oil so long as I supply a container for the oil :thumbup:

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Offline Bluechip

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #16 on: April 11, 2018, 04:13:49 AM »
Creocote is pretty useless.

Some of my fencing has been done with Creoseal and that seems to be a lot better.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01HR4C5AE/ref=psdc_1938799031_t1_B0098YT924

Probably not as good as the real Creosote though ...

Dave
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Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #17 on: April 11, 2018, 06:20:18 AM »
The Creosote had pretty well dried / soaked in so time to put the floor together. A bit like an Ikea kit but with Paslode Nails  :ddb:

Went pretty well, but it's a heavy lump to lug about - particularly when I had it invert it. The floor is a sandwich of the 3" x 3" framework, the rusty steel anti rat barrier, and the 18 mm shuttering ply. Having knocked the loose rust off the sheets of steel I slavered them with Shell Ensis which will slow down the rusting. I just hope that the rats don't like eating it !

Andrew Mawson
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Offline modeng200023

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #18 on: April 11, 2018, 11:02:42 AM »
Dave, the version i used was Creoseal. Certainly seems to work.

John

Offline Bluechip

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #19 on: April 11, 2018, 01:48:08 PM »
Hi John

Creoseal does seem to sort of work. Not convinced it's anywhere as good as the real stuff though  :scratch:

The water-based stuff wasn't Ducksback perchance? Some of my panels were done with that 2 years ago and they've gone green ...  :bang:
It might work on ducks but it's no damn good for fences ....  :bang: again ...

Dave
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Offline AdeV

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #20 on: April 11, 2018, 02:43:43 PM »
Genuine Creosote is not available to the general public Ade, however it IS available to farmers for use where direct public contact is not likely. So preserving fence posts and chicken sheds but not for instance benches that people will sit on

Creosote Substitute, like many of these replacement products, is pretty useless other than as a water repellent and colouring agent.

Fortunately, I'm not the General Public :) I can claim it's for industrial use, and buy it through the Limited Company which I happen to have lying about the place...

I also ended up reading (until late at night  :palm:) about what you can & can't use creosote/creosoted timber for; in fact, it's not banned at all - although the EU did require it to be slightly reformulated; and it's use is restricted in public areas, especially where "frequent" skin contact is expected (so park benches are out), and for indoor furniture/fittings (domestic or otherwise). So you can still put your chicken shed in the garage... but not in the kitchen.  :lol:
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline modeng200023

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #21 on: April 11, 2018, 02:51:55 PM »
The product I used was Cuprinol. All I am saying is that it didn't work for me even though I followed the instructions.
I was very tempted to use creosote but 'ducked' out :clap:

John

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #22 on: April 11, 2018, 03:21:44 PM »
Trouble is, when this chicken shed is finished, which it nearly is, there is another that needs a rebuild - an estimated 30 metres of shiplap to replace - the frame seems ok apart from one corner that will need a bit of TLC.

. . . .and when THAT is done, just perhaps I can start on my Portakabin that houses my compressor. It had a slight drip. Had a chap put a fibre glass overlay on the roof, and now it is far far worse than it was  :bang: It was never levelled when installed by our predecessors, so that is the first job.

In fact I've just been researching the price of  box profile roofing sheets to put a low pitched roof over it - flat roofs are duck ponds waiting to happen  :bugeye:
« Last Edit: April 11, 2018, 04:10:55 PM by awemawson »
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Biggles

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #23 on: April 12, 2018, 01:34:28 AM »
Told you, should have got some Turkeys!  :palm:

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #24 on: April 12, 2018, 09:38:16 AM »
At long last SWMBO got round to vac'ing out the cobwebs etc from inside the shed (well it IS hers!!) - i even let her use my workshop vac  :clap:

This meant I could apply Creosote to the underside of the raised frame so it is coated before lowering. I pushed the wheeled floor under to catch as many drips as possible.

Tomorrow I should be able to unite floor and shed and start replacing the removed planking.
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #25 on: April 13, 2018, 08:28:06 AM »
Time has come to reunite the base and upper works - but how? Well a handy Railway Axle Jack gave me a hand bringing it down in stages. Slightly tricky balancing act but I got away with it  :ddb:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #26 on: April 13, 2018, 08:33:33 AM »
OK we got away with that, so now fix the two together. Simple 90 mm Paslode nails, but also i thought it prudent to put some 'builders banding' between to two for a bit of tensile strength.

Then it was just a case of sawing planks to length and nailing them on and going round with the creosote spray both inside and out. That should get rid of any lingering Red Mite :clap:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #27 on: April 13, 2018, 08:41:10 AM »
So was it all worth the effort - well in my opinion no - I still think it should have been burnt - but . . . . . . .  :bang:

And of course now there is Chicken Shed #2 waiting in the wings expecting sorting  :( :( :( :(  :bang: :bang:

This shed I had made possibly 20 years ago to house my first 'male menopause event' the purchase and restoration of a 1952 Sunbeam S8 motor-cycle. Reliving my youth as I had one when I was a late teenager.

I found some pictures of it when we moved house to here back in 2007 - it's certainly deteriorated since then

(It's snuggling between my Thwaites 2 ton dumper truck and a Blacksmiths Power Hammer  :lol:)
« Last Edit: April 13, 2018, 09:34:57 AM by awemawson »
Andrew Mawson
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Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #28 on: April 13, 2018, 08:49:06 AM »
So how it it now 11 years on from the move, when it wasn't new then. Answer pretty grotty and rat eaten.

It has two doors and I plan to eliminate the one in the longer side, and re-plank at least three sides. The side away from the sun has survived quite well. The frame isn't in too bad a state, and as long as the nails pull out of the frame without making too much damage it 'should' be relatively straight forward. Famous last words  :bugeye:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline hermetic

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #29 on: April 13, 2018, 02:53:43 PM »
Cracking job on the henhut Andrew, hope you remembered to set the tracking after you fitted the wheels!
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Offline AdeV

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #30 on: April 13, 2018, 05:02:55 PM »
So was it all worth the effort - well in my opinion no - I still think it should have been burnt - but . . . . . . .  :bang:

On the upside, with all that creosote on it, it should be far more flammable than it was before  :lol:
Cheers!
Ade.
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Offline tom osselton

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #31 on: April 13, 2018, 07:41:26 PM »
But then you would have to make a cart to sell extra chrisp fried chicken! :lol:

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #32 on: April 15, 2018, 06:12:12 AM »
I ordered the cladding for the second shed this morning - it's been 'out of stock for delivery' for the past few days but their web site has now caught up - £247 - ouch  :bugeye:

Coming Monday week - probably just as well that there'll be a hiatus of a week as I pulled a tendon in my shoulder doing the last one - might just have recovered a bit by then  :bang:

. . . frightening how timber prices have gone up  :scratch:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #33 on: April 15, 2018, 10:10:54 AM »
After the odd distraction of lambs being born I thought that I'd better get on and remove some of the rotten planking and see how bad it really is - it's BAD  :bang:

The side with windows that I've started stripping not only gets all the weather, but it turns out that the ground surface has built up above the flagstones so the sole plate under it is utterly rotten - not entirely surprising. Although I intend to overlay the floor with 18mm OSB3 the ends of the planks of the original floor on this side are also rotten - I will cut then away to the next bearer and slip a piece of waterproof ply of the same thickness where the planks were.

I'll replace most of the framing on this side - I could just splice in a foot at the bottom, but it's far easier to replace the entire length. So I steamed up my Dominion Super Elliot combination wood worker and produced some lengths of 50 mm square to match the original.

Lastly I got out the JCB 803 and pulled the earth back to below the level of the flag stones - it's all going to be raked over with my landrake on the JCB eventually and reseeded, but this at least will keep water out of the new work.

I'll have to re-frame this side before I removed any more cladding or it will all collapse  :bugeye:
« Last Edit: April 17, 2018, 09:54:34 AM by awemawson »
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline DICKEYBIRD

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #34 on: April 15, 2018, 11:29:17 AM »
So I steamed up my Dominion Super Elliot combination wood worker....
Jumpin' Jehoshaphat Andrew, is there no man-cave toy you don't have?  :bugeye:
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Offline NormanV

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #35 on: April 15, 2018, 11:59:15 AM »
Where are your chickens whilst all this rebuilding is going on?
I would like to get some chickens but the nightly visit by the local fox puts me off.

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #36 on: April 15, 2018, 12:02:59 PM »
Milton,

Now ALL today's toys (Digger, Dumper (out of shot), Dominion Woodworker) have been subjects of pretty fundamental rebuilds on Mad Modder and all were bought in a shoddy state so I reckon I EARNED them  :lol:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #37 on: April 15, 2018, 12:07:48 PM »
Where are your chickens whilst all this rebuilding is going on?
I would like to get some chickens but the nightly visit by the local fox puts me off.

Norman, they had been moved into the larger Polytunnel over winter, where there is a small netted outside enclosure at one end, however against advice they were allowed to free range with the Geese now the weather is getting warmer. However on Friday (as I predicted  :bang: ) Mr Fox visited and killed all except one young cockerel and one chicken. These two survivors are being boarded with a friend in the village until Stalag Luft Sedlescombe has been completed.

Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Will_D

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #38 on: April 15, 2018, 06:11:43 PM »
Ok Andrew, Next project:

A CNC controlled, Digital, 3d printable, Laser guided, Solar powered, Ecco friendly, HSE/RSPCA approved,  Fox detector and Terminator

That should tick all their 'effin boxes and save the Chickens
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Offline SwarfnStuff

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #39 on: April 16, 2018, 01:42:43 AM »
Ouch Andrew,
       I didn't just strain a tendon. Actually snapped three but one was an old injury and not fixable. Six weeks in a sling after the op, now physiotherapy to get movement back before strengthening exercises in another month.
     No playpen time for the duration so I shall just continue reading your and other's posts living vicariously till I can turn handles again.
John B
Converting good metal into swarf sometimes ending up with something useful. ;-)

Offline Joules

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #40 on: April 16, 2018, 02:10:52 AM »
Why not equipe the hen house with PIR controlled Claymores (what could possibly go wrong)

Nothing like the smell of warm Pâté de fox in a morning.
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Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #41 on: April 16, 2018, 09:54:02 AM »
Time to sort out those rotten floor planks. Strategy: cut off the ends back to the next bearer, insert a well creosoted plywood section, then when the rest of the shed is finished over-cover all the floor with 18mm OSB3

I had an off-cut of ply that proved to be 1/8" too thick but it got pressed into service (literally with a sledge hammer!)

So, firstly cut a bit of floor to check the board thickness
Then fix a batten to act as a guide for the circular saw
Slice off the rotten bits
Cut plywood to size
Slaver creosote everywhere (including on me !)
Nail down the ply with the Paslode gun.

It ALMOST worked like that  :lol:

Firstly the 13A socket in the shed wasn't working - quick bit of diagnosis found the socket itself was too corroded. Replace socket

Then the outer bearer was mainly ok but one end was soft - slice out another one on the Dominion saw bench

Other than that it went OK - the ply was a tight (1/8" interference!) fit but the sledge hammer sorted that!

Now at least there is a firm base to place the rest of the front framework that I'm replacing
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #42 on: April 17, 2018, 09:39:14 AM »
Major amount done today - in fact apart from the door and three planks on the rear, I >think< the demolition is finished  :ddb:

I need the delivery of the new cladding (Monday) before I can make another door, and I don't want to bash around on the back to remove the lower cladding until the front is clad, as it's all getting a bit wobbly  :bugeye:

So I started rebuilding the front framework, most of the timber for which I had cut the other day. Bit of cogitation over exactly how the glazing fits but I think it's correct (hoping to re-use the original glass)  It all went pretty smoothly.

With the front secured I could then work on replacing both corner posts, which structurally are part of the end panel and door panel - on the end I spliced in a bit of the bottom bearer, but probably should have replaced the full length. I learnt my lesson on the door end and replaced the whole lower member. I put a temporary cross brace on the rear to retain some semblance of rectangularity.

Then the obligatory spray with creosote on the new works which was fine until the wind suddenly gusted and I got a face full - couldn't see a thing as my glasses were covered  :bang: Oh well I needed a shower anyway !
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline russ57

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #43 on: April 18, 2018, 03:59:33 AM »
Apart from the dimensions, exactly how much of the shed will be original....
Like my grandma's original axe, only 2 new heads and 4 new handles....



Russ


Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #44 on: April 18, 2018, 04:32:42 AM »
As Triggers Broom in Only Fools & Horses  :lol:

Oh yes - that gallon of paraffin and a match would have been SO much less hassle, but it was decreed otherwise  :bang:

The roof, 2/3rds of the floor, and the entire back will be original  :med:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #45 on: April 23, 2018, 01:04:13 PM »
Today the cladding arrived, and I managed to get the front (window side) and rear clad. The rear needed a bit of size adjustment as it was not square.

Then the new floor went down

Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #46 on: April 24, 2018, 12:47:00 PM »
So after an exhausting day the shed is finished except for refitting the glass in the windows - thank goodness  :thumbup:

I started by fitting a panel of oiled hardboard to the small panel next to the door - the objective being to stiffen up this end of the shed. The majority of this end is door so the whole structure tends to rack. But this panel is only 12" wide - just putting the shiplap on it wouldn't be stiff enough. So hardboard followed by shiplap on top. Seems to have worked  :ddb:

Then I needed to make the door. Frankly I've been putting this off - it's bigger than my woodworking bench so difficult to keep it flat. But it occurred to me - put the old door on the bench and use it as a template - simples  :ddb:

Having hung the door the sky started to darken, need to get it all creosoted before the rain starts and the new wood get wet. I cut some 3/4" corner trims, gave the end grain of the ship lap a good dose of Creosote, then fitted the trims and sprayed the outside of the shed. It then started raining - never mind I'm now inside spraying that !

I now just need to remount the various electrical fittings and put the glass back in the windows and I can then get on resurrecting the Portakabin  :thumbup:



Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #47 on: April 25, 2018, 07:51:03 AM »
So this morning, early doors, I glazed the windows, re-fitted the external dusk to dawn sensor, sorted out the internal fluorescent light, it's switch and a twin 13A outlet, and handed the shed back to the customer  -  ( SWMBO ) - finished at last  :thumbup:

. . . .  and I never want to see another chicken shed in my lifetime  :bugeye:

Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Will_D

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #48 on: April 25, 2018, 10:31:38 AM »
Are you sure the eggs won't taste of creosote?
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Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #49 on: April 25, 2018, 10:45:37 AM »
Probably  :clap:

It'll have a fair few weeks of drying time, as the chicken run is still to be ground raked (JCB 803) re-seeded and fenced - they reckon it's safe for stock after 48 hours but you are right - the reek persists longer than that. But commercial sheds are creosoted regularly. :med:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Jo

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #50 on: April 25, 2018, 10:57:14 AM »
But commercial sheds are creosoted regularly. :med:

I didn't like to mention earlier that that second shed didn't look like it had been annually maintained creosoted  :poke:

Jo
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Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #51 on: April 25, 2018, 11:45:54 AM »
Nope - it never had a drop of preservative of any kind since the day it was born - poor neglected thing !

It's actually not for housing chicken but rather their feed and it's operation and maintenance for the last 11 years has been on the Distaff  side of the melee  :clap:

Only recently when things have got out of hand I ripped out the rotten fence posts, burnt one chicken house (Hooray!!), rebuilt the silly one on wheels, now rebuilt the feed shed, and no doubt I'll be preparing for re-seeding, fencing, laying paths.  :bang:

. . . how much do Sainsbury's charge for eggs ?
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Bluechip

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #52 on: April 25, 2018, 01:10:26 PM »


. . . how much do Sainsbury's charge for eggs ?



More than the chickens charge Sainsbury's ..  :scratch:

D.
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Offline hermetic

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #53 on: April 27, 2018, 03:02:41 PM »
I used to make great use of some galv steel in 6x3 sheets, that we used to call "chicken tin" Thin steel, probably .5mm , galv both sides and a light green etch primer on 1 side.used for rat proofing among many other things. you could cut it really easy and nail straight through it. You could do with a bit across the bottom of that door, if you are putting chicken feed in there! I wanted some a few weeks ago, and went to the place I have bought it many years ago, to be told "sorry mate, never eard of it" Thats progress for you!
Phil
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Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #54 on: April 28, 2018, 03:19:50 AM »
I had intended to run some fine mesh expanded zintec that I have (left over from the plasma table rebuild) about 12" high right round the shed but didn't  :bang:

I may bend up a bit of 1.2 mm sheet zintec I have for the bottom of the door.
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #55 on: May 10, 2018, 02:20:34 PM »
Time to put the first chicken shed back in the chicken run, but first needed to level a spot and lay some flagstones to keep it's feet dry. (Been waiting for a replacement fuel sedimenter bowl for the JCB which came this morning)

Had to shift the shed off the hard standing outside the workshop, as the custom curved roof sheets for the Portakabin are threatened to be delivered on Monday

Halfway through Gary phoned up saying he had 20 tons of superb top soil to dispose of - so that was a bit of a diversion !

Anyway - done now - just needs fencing

Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline JD

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #56 on: May 10, 2018, 06:14:23 PM »
Andrew
Not only fried bacon. now the eggs as well  :lol:  :beer:. Could you find a warm spot behind a shed/workshop/barn you might get some mushrooms. Mmmmmmm :ddb:  :ddb:
JD
If you cant fix it hit it with a bigger hammer

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #57 on: May 11, 2018, 02:35:27 AM »
The creosote is to STOP the mushrooms growing  :lol:

A friend gave us a motley collection of fertile chicken eggs, she keeps exotics and they are odd greens and blues. They've been in the incubator for a while now, and the first chick started pecking its way out yesterday.

In my experience somehow you seem to get 75% cockerels from a clutch of eggs ! We will buy a load of 'point of lay' chicken when the run has been fenced.
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline awemawson

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Re: Rebuilding A Grotty Chicken Shed
« Reply #58 on: May 11, 2018, 10:08:55 AM »
So this morning revealed four hatched chicks and another on the way out. At the time of writing we have six. :thumbup:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex