Last fall, when we set up the chicken house and yard, one of us (okay, it was me) convinced the other to use half 2×4s posts (nominal 2×2s, actually 1½"×1½"), cemented into the ground at 6' intervals. This might have been okay, but we had aviary netting on the roof as well as the walls. This might have been okay, but there were no structural cross-members on top, so we ran wire across the top of the posts to keep the roof from sagging across the 8'×24' span of the yard, creating just a bit of inward tension. This might have been okay, but aviary netting is thick for strength, and consequently does not shed snow as readily as flimsy netting. This might have been okay, but it wasn't. See figure 1.
We shored it up as best we could, and that lasted until the ground thawed last month, but the time came for action. One of us (okay, it was Francie) finally convinced the other to go with full 2×4 framing, assembled in 8' sections, so that every other stud was doubled up with one from the next section. With top bars, occasional diagonal braces, and standoffs from the chicken house. The ground is fairly uneven (one reason we went with posts in the first place), so we spent a lot of time doing what the road building guys call “cut and fill.” Dig, rake, stomp, level, adjust, hammer, hammer, hammer, paint, until the mosquitos come out. Too tired to go to the massage party. I repeat: too physically beat to go get a massage. Remains to do: more painting, then tack the netting back up.
Meanwhile, the ladies hung out in their portable enclosure, a.k.a. the chicken tractor. We put it in the garden, so they can eat the weeds and scratch for grubs, but we moved it onto the lawn for some shade.
Finally, our great find from the cut and fill excavation. Back from the days when the year of issue was stamped right into the license plate.
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kirkcudbright
