It's getting dark outside, so my time to make progress on the chicken coop is over for today. In hindsight, I should have built a simpler coop from scratch instead of buying a "kit" for this complex thing.
The next step is to slide those PVC pieces through the holes that
I had to drill in the top and bend them down into holes in the base that
I had to drill in the base (do you see the beginning of a theme here? This doesn't seem to be a kit at all since I've had to do so much of the cutting and drilling. And of course most of this drilling requires pre-drilling). The instructions very helpfully say that I have to bend both sides of the PVC at once, which will be
very interesting, if I can even do it. I'm a little concerned that the extreme cold will make the PVC brittle and I'll break it instead of bending it.
Then I'm supposed to pre-drill and countersink some more stuff through the PVC to attach it to the wood. I don't own a countersink. I didn't see countersink on the list of tools I'd need, so I didn't buy one. I'm going to fake it with a larger drill size and hope I don't drill all the way through by accident. That would make me angry. Oh wait. I'm already angry. 27 different kinds of angry about this freakin' thing.
I loved Karen Sue's idea about carrots as a treat for the goats. Except these goats don't seem to like carrots, or anything else I give them that's not leafy branches. I have a feeling it's me they don't like, at least until they get used to me, and I have a feeling I'm going to have to spend a ton of time getting them used to me. I wonder where that time is going to come from?
Raisins. They're small, easy to carry, goats love them, you can "treat" them with a small amount. Bill would never be able to get any animal around here to pay him any mind without them.
ReplyDeleteSit in the fenced in area with them. Easily done while you drink a cup of tea/coffee/diet pepsi/beer/whatever the coop inspires you to drink. Don't worry if they come over to you at first; just sit and they will get used to you very fast.
Leash walk when you get home from work. Then you are not rushed to get to work, and they can explore/eat and get used to the idea that the leash is not torture.
Oh yes! Raisins! They're on the grocery list now.
ReplyDeleteAnd they dare to call that a kit??? PVC will be fine in the cold - don't you love it when they tell to you do something that only two people can do comfortably? Just keep thinking of how happy your chickens will be. And you will have to break open a bottle of champs when you are done with this puppy~!
ReplyDeleteJust got around to reading these comments so I'll add apples to the goats' possible goodie list. Our goats always liked them . . . cut into wedges or that size chunks.
ReplyDelete