I built a barn! (pics)

[Cheryl Marchek AKA JM]

All by myself! And I’m pretty darned proud of myself!!! It’s not quite done~ still needs another screen in one window and to be painted~ going to be red with white trim. But it’s far enough along that the animals can move in and now some fence work is taking priority. I’ll get to the painting soon I hope! But since this is as far as it’s going to get for another few weeks I decided to pat myself on the back and show it off!!

It started as just a car port I had installed (so I didn’t build that part~ but I did all the rest!) It was just the metal uprights and the roof. Then I added the sides, ends, windows and the dutch doors. Harder than you think! I didn’t know how to build dutch doors~ and the mechanics behind lifting an 18 foot 2X4 over my head and holding it in place while fastening it to the frame almost defeated me!! But I got them up there! I also added a wall in the middle and screening so that ½ is for poultry and ½ is for goats. There is a pic of the smaller goat door (so goats can go in and out in the rain without having to have the large doors open. No pic of the even smaller poultry door because it is blocked by the temporary fence I put up to teach the ducks and guineas that they live in there now. It cost a little more than I anticipated~ good pressure treated wood costs a little more than I thought (and it weighs a LOT more than I thought!!!) All together~ the carport, wood, door hardware, more screws than I thought I needed and paint (when I get to it) the barn cost about $1500~ so not cheap but not nearly what it would have cost to have one built…….and I get to look out there and say “I did that!”

Pic with the dutch doors open on one end
http://www.thereddragonsden.com/images/Homestead/08June-July/barn%20003.jpg

dutch doors closed~ goat door open
http://www.thereddragonsden.com/images/Homestead/08June-July/barn%20001.jpg

Goat sneaking some feed on the poultry side (she KNOWS the chicken feed is in there and desperately wants in that side of the barn every chance she gets!)
http://www.thereddragonsden.com/images/Homestead/08June-July/barn%20005.jpg

pic of the inside from the poultry side
http://www.thereddragonsden.com/images/Homestead/08June-July/barn%20004.jpg

[Wolfy-hound]

That's one spiffy barn. Fill it with mulch and just add tegus.

[Cheryl Marchek AKA JM]

I'm going to add about 50 more chickens, some more goats. Then I'm going to build another one in the other pasture and add cows (and more chickens.....I'm really into poultry right now!) Then......I'm going to sleep for the rest of my life! I have more projects than time and energy!

[johns6068]

Nice Job it looks awesome =)

[Mooing Tricycle]

Cheryl, that looks excellent! and heck, i think the carport idea was brilliant.

Lets see it when its all full of poultry and goats!!! :D Congrats hun, you did a great job!

[deborahbroadus]

Paraphrasing:

Though the task has belted and flayed you,
By the livin' Gawd that made you,
You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!

Great work!

[xanaxez]

Very nice barn. great job on turning the carport into a barn lol i couldnt imagine doing it i do not have the time or patience. well done and i think it will look awesome when completed so youdeserve a pat on your back from yourself and all of us.

[Cat_72]

So THAT is what you almost killed yourself building! It looks GREAT, woman!!

I'm sure those critters appreciate all the work you put into it (well, except for the goat not being able to get at the chicken feed lol), they've got some high-class digs now!

[Cheryl Marchek AKA JM]

Thanks guys~
I started to prime it today but my nieghbor pointed out that I should not for at least 90 days~ preferably a year because the wood was wet when I built it. He says the paint will peal off even with the primer if I don't let the pressure treated wood dry up good first. Okay~ cool~ that project done for now then!

I'd like to take a break~ but my nieghbor was over talking to me so we could work out my next project. PIGS. Got a pasture piece picked out for them~ nieghbor wants to go in on the work to prep it with me so he can keep a couple pigs in it too. So now........I need to find out what I have to build to keep pigs!

[Southern Wolf]

Cheryl... how about some updated pics of this barn you built. Girl... I think your rubbiin off on me.

[Cheryl Marchek AKA JM]

I can try to get some updated pics but it won't do much good. Truth is....I STILL have not gotten around to painting it so it looks pretty much the same! I keep MEANING to paint it but I'm bad about But First Syndrome. I'm gonna do this~ But First I'm gonna do that....and then I'm gonna do that But First I'm gonna do this other thing.....

I'll try to get some new pics but like I said they look pretty much the same except now it's not as clean with the animals living in it full time! And it may be a while~ I got some a few other things I gotta do First....

[Southern Wolf]

How is it holding up? Any tweeking that you've had to here or there? Any changes that you've made to better suit the critters?

[Cheryl Marchek AKA JM]

It's holding up pretty well. The chicken side is doing great~ the french doors need to be built sturdier those ones warped. I built some for another small stall in the other pasture last year that I framed out with 2X4 then built 2X4 crosses in them like you see in old pictures of barns. Those are holding up much better than the thin ones I put on this barn are. The thin ones still work, but they are warped and wouldn't hold up to an animal locked in and intent to get out. But then~ the bigger ones on the other stall held in pigs intent on getting out but not a horse intent on getting out! She launched over the lower door and destroyed it~ I had to rebuild that one and remember THAT horse does not do confinement well.

The other side of the carport barn in this thread was to be for goats and it still is, but I leave it open and the cows and the horses go in there to get out of the rain sometimes. The bull used the middle support for the doors on that side as a scratcher and effectively removed it! So it's a good thing I don't want to close the doors on that side~ the support I would fasten them to was sacrificed to itchy hide!

No pics for 6 to 8 weeks~ but I'll try to remember to get new pics then. Like I said it looks pretty much the same but dirtier.