With the site cleared and mowed, Melissa and I were able to assemble the roof of the pen on the ground. We repositioned the roof on the site until it appeared we had discovered the optimum placement.
The new pen is 2’ wider and 6’ longer than the old pen and there were trees, berry bushes, and the ground contours to consider. That being the case, physically moving the assembled roof was the simplest way to evaluate all the relevant variables simultaneously.
Once its final placement was determined, the assembled roof served as a guide for me to pound the vertical posts into the ground. The upright posts are 6’ lengths of 1.25” galvanized water pipe. This material is too heavy to use as any horizontal component, but is quite suitable for use as support posts.
These were driven into the ground to a depth that will allow the 4’ fence mesh to be fastened to the horizontal parts of the roof frame and be buried at least three inches in the ground. The site is not level so parts of the fence will be buried deeper than that.
Melissa was at work when I finished pounding in the uprights and leveling the sides. However, it was my good fortune to find our eldest offspring available to help me reconstruct the roof.
While I was on a ladder holding a section by the center connector, the eldest was able to guide the ends into the connectors on the upright posts. In such a manner, we made short work of reassembling the roof.
The next task is to build the new summer hen house inside the pen. I think it will be simpler to complete that project before surrounding the pen with fence mesh.
