Wednesday, April 30, 2008

A new green gate for the girls

I have another new and fun (for me, anyway) milestone to report. We were finally able to find someone capable of installing a new gate within our existing electric fencing. And I now have a beautiful, new, green gate right outside my new chicken coop. Yay, hooray! Apparently, it is quickly becoming a lost art to know how to work on New Zealand-style seven strand electric fencing and we were having a very challenging time trying to locate someone with that experience.

Fortunately, I now know Kelly. Kelly, who manages one of the local farm and feed stores in our area, has done this type of work for years:

He arrived early on Sunday (!) morning, towing two sullen 14-year-olds behind him. (Aren't they fun at this age?) I think he was hoping to impart some of his knowledge to them, but they weren't really interested for more than about 5 minutes:

We had a bit of a challenge lining up the posts:

But it worked out and Kelly did an awesome job:

The girls are pretty impressed, too:

14 comments:

  1. Wow, looks fantastic!! It will make life soooooo much easier since we are still getting snow and rain like crazy. Good for you!!

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  2. Love the picture of the chickens looking on.

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  3. Danni, you are unbelieveable!!! That last picture of the girls looking at their new gate is a CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!! CRACK ME UP!!!!
    You are getting such an education in just plain old everyday smarts arent you. I think you need a nice set of farmer tools for Christmas...soon you'll be doing all the fixin around there!!
    Happy happy day!!

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  4. Very nicely done! Great gate. Is that a screen door on your hen house that those chickies are looking through or do your girls mind you and stay inside?

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  5. Great gate, and that last photo is a classic :)

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  6. And can those girls gossip.....just look at them....you just know they are gabbing to each other and wondering what the heck is going on and what that new addition is.

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  7. I think they're admiring what they think is their new perch. Good for you!

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  8. Ooooh! I bet you feel so spoiled now!
    I know that gate placement was a real thorn in your side for a while. This new gate will make your daily chicken care and egg collection so much easier. Congrats!!

    So, will you also be adding on a coop, too. Or will your girls be completely free-range?

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  9. You know what, it's a good thing you have honest folk up your way. Many might say they know how to deal with your fence and then botch the job.
    "Two sullen 14-year olds" Bwahhaaaa! Ain't it the truth? Rarely will any child over the age of 13 feign any interest in anything their parents are doing (even if it's fun.)---At least at my house.;)

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  10. Hi ranch mommy! You've still got snow?! You poor thing. The temps are still dipping pretty low here at night, but at least we've not had any snow in the last week (knock on wood)!!

    Hi karen - thanks for commenting! I just visited your blog for the first time a bit ago and it looks like a lot of fun. Your kids are beautiful! Love your new patio, too. :-)

    Hi eve - oh that would be just AWESOME if I gain some of this fixit wisdom...it would certainly save us a HEAP of money!! Glad you liked my picture - I've been giggling over that one all day. :-)

    Hi jen - no screen, they're just hangin'. If I'm in the coop with them, they'll stay in with me. If I'm outside, though, watch out, a few will come shooting out that door like they are in a slingshot. lol.

    Hi robbyn - Thank you! That gate has kept me smiling for four days now :-) - it's so much easier to visit my girls any time -day or night- now!

    Hi frugal mom - How funny. Those girls are probably being all catty and sniping about how in the WORLD I could've chosen the color I did for that gate! :-)

    Hi robin :-), when you said that, I could totally picture my gals sitting on top of that fence (and pooping all over the bottom half of it!) - they'd have to really stretch their chicken feet at this point, though, just to hang on! Those bars are pretty big around! lol

    Hi twinville! yes, I am feeling tremendously spoiled...I love my girls and my husband loves *me*! :-) The plan was to start the chicken run as soon as the coop was finished (my gals will *NOT* be free range - too many racoons and coyotes) but then we had that pipe burst (among other sucky things) and this has totally consumed us time-wise. Right now, the girls are going out in a dog pen with some deer netting across the top to protect them from the hawks! Some day, they'll have a run attached...

    Hi ceecee - Oh, I hear what you're saying totally! I interviewed soooo many people who told me they could do what I wanted and I learned very quickly who the BS'ers were. But I was really lucky to have found Kelly - the fact that he managed the store just a bit away from me was a good point in my favor, too! (I would always know where to find him if he messed up!!) :-)

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  11. Wow Danni! You go girl getting that gate done so quickly!! It looks fantastic and what a load off you to have that done, I never did hear what happened with the old gent you were having to consider at one point! I am glad this guy worked out so well. The last picture is priceless, I just love it. I think your girls totally approve! I like too how I can see how you see your coop from your house, that picture shows the perspective, awesome!

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  12. My daughter told me about your blog and I've thoroughly enjoyed watching your whole chicken experience. You see, we'll be joining you with this collecting eggs job soon. Daughter, "Jennivar" had ordered her baby chicks to be delivered first part of June and her Dad (my husband of 44 years) has helped her figure out how and where to build the hen's new home. And the three kids will be selling the eggs as a 4-H endeavor. They've moved to the country just last November and they're having a great time! In a few months my blog will be featuring our chicken adventure, too! I love watching yours.

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  13. Yeah Danni- That is a huge accomplishment! See one more things off your list!

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  14. Wow Danni, you are really becoming that farmgirl!. I love the green gate and that last picture is something else with the girls looking like they know that gate is just for them.

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