Sunday Reading - Quite The Project

The work frenzy continues apace despite as I said having to pick up ghetto lottery's slack although this time I guess it is legitimate vacation time. What ya wanna bet he calls in sick tomorrow (Monday) morning though.

I have the ram's shelter almost completely built. Actually the hardest parts are two thirds done and I only have one wall left to finish before I can put the roof on.

Here's the inside East corner. I am overlapping the top triangle piece so making the side a bit lower is fine and it allows it to overlap the concrete a little too.

This is the same corner from the outside. It has turned into much more of an ethnic engineering project than I anticipated but well what project around here doesn't turn into more than I bargained for?

I am now attempting to figure out how to deal with the wind problem and the ram resting his thunderous bulk against the wall and pushing it out over time. I think I am going to sink some short posts into the ground and brace the sides somehow.

Eventually I am going to add a small access door in this corner from outside the pen but I am also going to leave a window like opening to allow airflow through the shelter in the hopes we won't get wind going in the open door and having no where to go but blowing the roofing off. Also leaving this open will allow us to feed hay and grain inside the shelter when it is raining or snowing.

I am not worried about wind or air getting to the ram. I mean he is a ram and this is central Missouri so there ain't much that can hit him as far as cold he can't handle with ease. It's the rain, snow and direct sun I need to protect him from.

I still need to finish the West wall, cut and install the top triangle part of each side wall and then finish putting the roof studs and sheet metal across the top but most of the hard work is done. The entire shelter will be 14' x 8' and 5' high on the back sloping down to 4' in the front.

Should be enough room for the ram and five or six ewes when the time comes. If they need extra space I can always open up the control paddock and allow them into the corner stall as well.

My only concern is that I haven't built it sturdy enough. It's amazing how rough on stuff that ram can be.

I should be able to finish the shelter up tomorrow and then hopefully get the fence put up Tuesday. I would have had this done by now if I hadn't had to work an extra 20 hours this week above my normal schedule but such is life..... and life always seems to happen at the most inopportune times anymore.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!