Like any insane family unit may do immediately after the birth of their third child, Jacki and I bought our current house with a handful of hearty fixer upper projects required within the three days prior to moving in. Full interior paint job, deep cleaning and new carpet were musts to make it even hygienic but we got it done with the help of some pretty A+ friends willing to sweat it out during those summer days and late nights.
Once everybody settled in and we got some good rhythms in place with all of the new things going on for our family, we took a breath and I learned that we really wanted chickens. Our new property, we believe, formerly hosted a fenced dog run with a two level wooden structure that likely served as a kennel. I removed the plywood that was on the outside of it and replaced some damaged framing areas. I then used the plywood that I pulled off to build a five section nesting box and reused the doors from an old hand me down coop kindly given to us by family friends to close in the coop area.
Eventually, I reduced the size of the fenced area to create a more appropriate sized chicken yard for our flock and to give our growing family a less messy swing set to enjoy. I also was able to use some leftover scraps of plywood to make a brooder for future chicks that we'd add to the flock.
We believe in resourcefulness. The old adage "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" is a belief held tightly for my crew. I believe in making what I have work for me. I love the creativity of it and the reward of a penny saved in it (for you and I, both). Renovation and restoration projects are a lot of fun. Let me know if you have pieces at home you call trash that we can turn into treasure or antiques you want to ensure live a lot more life.