Downsizing

A couple of weeks ago, I took the decision to give up half of my allotment plot. I started my allotment journey back in 2012, when my first plot measure 12m x 5m, and then moved to a 25m x 5m plot in 2014, and then in 2016 took on the plot next door, giving me a 25m x 10m plot. However, since having more room to grow vegetables and fruit, I don’t seem to be using it efficiently enough and have been harvesting less and less each year. My theory is, by giving up half my plot, I have to think properly where to grow stuff and will have to manage it properly.

So last weekend, the downsizing began. We (myself and my family), moved one of the sheds and converted it into a chicken coop. The shed was just a dumping ground and wasn’t really been used, and with the existing coop needing to be replaced, an unused shed was perfect.

Unfortunately, I started to take the shed apart before taking pictures, but it didn’t take long to dismantle it. Luckily, when the shed was originally erected back in 2014, I put it on some pallets, so it’s still structurally sound.

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I managed to source some new pallets to put down before moving the shed. So these were put in place, ready for the shed to be moved.

Once moved and erected, I measured the door and cut a hole big enough for the chickens to use. Some perches were built and made some nest boxes out of some large black plastic tubs. Unfortunately, I forgot to get some pictures of the inside 🙁

The final job was to move and re-attach the water barrels to the side of the shed so I can collect the rain water. Overall, it took us around 4 hours to move everything and I’m extremely happy with the results.