Recycled field shelter

I have made either a brave or stupid decision. I am going to create my own field shelter made out of recycled materials. The idea has been in my head for a few months now. A project I would love to do and achieve. If I don’t attempt I will always wonder if I could! 

I designed it today. Reason is I have s space side of polytunnel that’s going to be sheep folding pen. Looking at feet etc. I want a field shelter at side to my bespoke size and use That would cost a fortune for someone else to build so going to do it myself on a budget! 

Operation veg patch

All the animals seem to be behaving. Roly poly sheep seems to have got her balance. New chickens and sucks appear to have settled in. Poly tunnel door creation planned for weekend, so it was down to operation veg patch. 

I started to dig. What a difference spending that bit extra on a decent spade. Right height for and weight. Note to self always have the right spade! The soil is well lush! Hardly any roots and good healthy stuff. Last place I had I struggled with both root weeds and quality so fingers crossed for a good bounty this season. 

The start. The chickens did their bit and got rid of some of the grass. Just a few more beds to create

In another place seed planting going on. First seedlings of the year. Tomatoes! 

Chilli seeds

Chilli seeds in for this year. Wow some hot ones. 

All about the birds today!

Orphan chick has a new pal - These two just bonded straight away

Auction day 

What else do you do when it’s pouring down with rain! Go to a very cold barn with a poultry sale! Really didn’t want to wanted to stay snuggled today but guilt got the better of me. Mr drake still needed ladies. So I layered up and off I went. 

Plan to buy three female ducks. Can I ever stick to my plan when buying poultry..............um no!!

Not many female ducks on offer I did get two. I did buy 4 new hens too!! Bargain buy honest!! A young muscovee duck and s young Campbell duck. A black maran hen, Wyandotte hen and two brown hens. 

I drop them off at their new home 

New drake and his new friend. She was chasing him round the coup at first. She then decided to leave him alone and look what happened! 

Beautiful black Moran and Wyandotte

Wyandotte 

Muscovee

Not good photos but raining will get more when weather better. 

All looking good for this spring!

Second chick born today

Chick born today let’s hope this batch more to come! 

Erecting of Poly tunnel

Exciting times1 Polytunnel erection has arrived. What a full on two days! its up still needs doors but there coming! thers been sheep poo, noisy and nosey sheep.

The bits minus the new polythene

The ladies

Marking it out

The hard grafter. hammering the posts in

The frame

 The polythene in its packet

The lid going on

neally there for lid being on

The lid

Door frame

Its up after two hard days of solid graft. It took bubble baths to warm up after getting cold to the core. for 17 hours two tea breaks and a temp range from minus 2 -  5 degree. 

Hard core!!!

The chickens also got moved so that I can split the field temporary so sheep have most of the field and i have growing space. Using the chickens. one end of poly tunnel far end door has a fence so once door done I can leave doot open and whilst gardening in polytunnel look at my sheep. Hammock space planned! Hammock lets get pirorities right, Have a channel for moving animals on and off field. a place to collect sheep for fett and shearing. all going on. 

The soil well amazing and vey little weeds, Was going to do raised beds soil is too good to introduce new soil that could have loads of weeds in it.

Polytunnel

Exciting stuff. Polytunnel goes up sun/mon can’t wait. It will be the start of new field. Sepearting sheep from growing space. That means the start of the growing food