Small Calm Farm

One of the leftovers from the barn demolition is this big pile of uprooted trees, twisted metal fence, dirt, and ancient manure.

I have to cut up the twisted metal into manageable pieces before I can properly dispose of it. One of the uprooted trees had grown around, into and through the solid metal fence. I can’t suss how to separate the tough metal panels from the rock-hard wood and don’t have the right tool to cut the metal.

I have a reciprocating saw (a.k.a. Sawzall) and metal blades. Nope. Didn’t work at all. So I spent a good portion of this morning’s coffee / wake up time browsing the dreaded internet for tools to cut metal. An angle grinder seems to be the consensus choice, but I read or watched so many sources filled with warnings of the danger of such tools and what I watched or read involved cutting clean or straight metal. Nothing I found demonstrated or guided me through the cutting of twisted, thick, tough, rusty metal around which trees had grown. And I didn’t feel like using good late November daylight going to town to shop for tools which may or may not work and with which a novice like me might cut off some fingers or put out an eye or two. Not in the mood for that today.

So, what to do? Well… Do what I am capable of doing. Do something I know how to do. Do something I’m good at. Set in on fire!

I’ll cut up the metal another day.

When in doubt, set it on fire. This may be my new motto.

I had originally planned to use reclaimed barn wood to build the chicken coop, but I used most of the old, true 2″ x 4″ wood on converting the pergola into a barn swallow house and covered shelter and most of the other wood from the demolished old barn is much bigger than I need for an 8’x8’x6′ high coop.

The cost of wood is much higher than a couple years ago! A basic 8 foot 2×4 stud is $4.98 each! Add the 3/4″ plywood for the floor, 1/2″ sheathing for gabled roof, nails, screws, etc. and I’ve spent almost $500 so far. Oh well… The coop will look nicer and should be a comfy home for chickens.

I was able to use reclaimed barn siding for at least some of the coop. It will better when it’s painted.

Dylan is going to come help me attach the trusses and start on the roof today. That’s a difficult one man job.

The thunderstorm came hours later than predicted, so I was able to wield the chain saw (one of my favorite tools!) and fell the unwanted trees that poke out into the pasture today.

The pasture turns to the right past this tree-weed space. Those 7 foot tall weeds with thick stalks and burrs have to go. Will knock them down before winter and cut the trees into firewood by spring.

Of 12.77 acres, about 6.5 is already woods. This little bit of woods doesn’t fit.

Weather forecast predicted thunderstorms today, so I didn’t set trusses on chicken coop frame. Cut down trees instead.

This group of trees — and tall, stalky weeds — (pictured below) juts out into into what can be pasture.

So, today they’re coming down, with the exception of the valuable black walnut.

I don’t know what I’m doing. But I have successfully made my first truss!

Now I just use this as a template to make 4 more. They’re for the chicken coop.

So the basic 8 x 8 chicken coop box is framed. Harder parts — slanted roof, door for me, small door for chickens, and nesting boxes to come…

I’m no fan of bugs, as long as they stay outside, but I kinda like this one. Looks kinda pre-historic. Can’t fly or move very fast. Need to identify it. I have a few of these in the house, too, but they seem harmless, so I’ve let them be (thus far).

I finally decided on a place to build the chicken coop. This space already has some scrubby trees, much enjoyed by sparrows and other birds with very old metal fencing around which, into and through the trees have grown over years. This must have been the pen for some sort of small animal(s) many years ago. (Maybe pigs? The metal sections of fence are deep into the ground. I don’t know.)

This spot is also about 30 feet from a well pump, so that will be handy. I have a lot of lumber and siding salvaged from the barn demo, but the the wood and timbers are massive, hard for one man to work with, and major overkill for the framing of a small 8′ x 8′ coop.

So, having used most of the salvaged 2 x 4’s on converting the pergola into a roofed barn swallow house and human shelter, I bought new wood for the coop. (2×4’s are almost $5 each! A lot more than they were just a court of years ago.)

I was able to reuse several concrete blocks salvaged from the barn to raise the floor off the ground.

So that’s some progress.

I don’t know what I’m doing. But so far, so good.

Planting ginseng seeds in the woods today, serenaded by a huge flock of sparrows.