Building Project, Interrupted by an Injury

Kelly is only working four days a week now.  He doesn't work on Wednesday any more, so I decided to take today off work to help finish up a couple of projects.  When school starts again, I won't be able to take time off like that, so I figured I should do it while I can!  We decided to continue with our inside-the-big-barn coop project.  We have lost some chickens and had others with frozen feet and toes.  I really get upset about that, so it was time to build a better indoor coop.  We decided to build an 8x8 coop for nighttime use only, inside our Wick Building.

In one corner of the building, we have a 4 x 8 foot brooder for chicks, so we decided to build the larger coop next to that.  Here you can see the overall view of it.  It's built from chipboard mostly, framed with 2x4 lumber.

The main thing we had to do, once the walls were up, was install some insulation.  We used skirtings from our fleeces last year (llama and sheep) that we had kept in bags in the basement, not sure what to do with them!  Suddenly, they were very handy!  We stuffed them down the back wall as the boards went up, along with some foamboard insulation that we had found at a garage sale for $2.  That fully insulated the back wall (which is chipboard framed up against the side of the metal barn wall).

The roof went on, and that was suddenly an excellent new site for storage of things, such as fencing supplies, the summer grass catcher for the mower, spare animal crates, and other such infrequently needed items.  It also gave us more floor space in the barn!  Hooray!

We had a huge bag of R30 fiberglass insulation that we had obtained from someone who was moving and didn't need it.  This proved to be the right opportunity for using it.  Unfortunately, we determined that some mice had made it their home in the barn for a time, but they had vacated.  Despite a few holes, it was still perfectly usable for the ceiling of the new coop.  Kelly decided that it should go up and be covered in black garbage bags.  I had my doubts, which I expressed, but being a woman who likes to be proven right, I let him try....

and try....

 ...and try some more...

...and then he realized it wasn't working, because the staples were pulling through the plastic which is exactly what I said would happen.  Ah, the stubborn streak of the male always arises when construction is underway!!  We then rolled up the bags to make "straps" of a sort, and pushed in the insulation to sort of "hang" it there.

Then, we used some Ondura roofing that we had left over from another project to sandwich the insulation against the ceiling.  We then tucked more skirted fleece in along the sides.

It's nearly done now, except for some roosts and the door.  Kelly went to pick up some hay, so I've come in to write a blog while I recuperate from the injury about to be revealed.  We shall continue with construction later.

At one point we decided the little goatie girls needed grain.  I went in to converse with the little goatie girls and realized a hoof trimming was in order.  I asked Kelly to bring grain and the hoof trimmers, since I was already in the pen with said goatie girls.  I was seated on the ground, holding Opal, who is a darling little goat and not at all difficult.  I had my back to Kelly.  He brought the grain and dumped it over the fence.  He forgot the trimmers entirely.  So, Opal gleefully leapt out of my arms to get at the grain, which was supposed to be a post-trimming treat, and put her horn nearly all the way through the side of my nose in the process.

There was a great deal of blood and a great deal of wailing and commotion and a very sheepish (goatish?) Kelly who realized he had done entirely the wrong thing and had forgotten the entire reason for the grain and meanwhile I was running for the house with blood dripping off the tip of my nose and a hand covered in blood at the same time from holding it to my nose.  Dreadful.

Anyway, after clean up, I realized that it wasn't broken, but it was a very deep cut in the side of my nose below the bridge, that went almost through to the other side.  I am here to tell you that it didn't feel at all good, but I shall survive.  It is now properly bandaged and antibiotic-ointmented, although it does throb rather a lot.  it's a nice straight cut though, so hopefully it will heal well. 

And yes, for anyone who is concerned, I have had my tetanus shot as part of my immigration process about 7.5 years ago and they said it was good enough to last for 10 years.  Whew!