Our building project

We've embarked on a building project ... covered yards.  A big question for us to invest in fixed capital or capital stock or pay back debt.  We opted for the fixed capital.

What are we doing?
We are building a shed over our main set of sheep yards.  We tossed up whether to do work on the woolshed but decided it was a better investment to have covered yards.  The benefits were:

• it would give us adequate night pen to have a full days shearing of sheep dry.  Based on a 3 stand shed with the average shearer doing 67/run (2 hour period), that means to have 800 dry sheep would give a full days shearing.
• we scan mid-winter inconjunction with shearing.  It seems every time our scanner comes we are unindated with rain and end up in about 4 inches of mud.  Not a very pleasant time for us or the sheep.
• gives us a lighted facility to work at odd times of day to sort sheep for trucking and/or shearing if need be.
• hopefully cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter to work in.
• will add value to the property.
• am sure there will be other benefits along the way also.

What are we building?
We are building a 6 bay Goldpine (http://www.goldpine.co.nz/products/sheds/) which is 12 mtrs by 30 mtrs.  Finally the consent came through and it is full steam ahead. 

The corner braces, lines and post marks were laid out Monday/Tuesday, all ready for the holes, which were drilled on Wednesday/Thursday and Friday the consent inspector from the Waikato District Council checked the holes off.  Friday/Saturday the posts were braced into position, ready for the concrete truck on Monday.

The timber for the shed arrived



The corners and lines, post holes marked out - westerly wall shown



String indicates centre of shed, so some posts will have to be moved!

First hole is dug!



The hole depth is 1300 mm

Getting old hand at the hole digging by now!

Putting the unwanted dirt straight on trailer to be put in holes about the place



Trying to remove a stubbon post!



Alice down a smaller hole





Poles braced down the easterly side of shed



Bracing a pole on the westerly side








Pole in the hole

Bracing the pole on south/westerly corner

The yards

The yards ... a few more posts than planned had to come out ... opportunity to redesign yards!

View looking down towards the yards

Last night, Dash went out of the house about 5.30 pm and wasn't seen again which is highly unusual.  Last night it rained and normally Dash doesn't like the rain, so for her to be missing was strange.  We checked the sheds but no sign.  It wasn't until morning when the guys arrived at the yards, that they heard the barking, and down the bottom of a 1300 mm hole was Dash.  We can only assume that she chased a mouse (as several of the other holes had mice this morning) and there she stayed.  She was pretty dirty and muddy when she came back to the house this morning, and was banished until she cleaned herself up ... the photo was taken a wee while later and doesn't show up the dirt that was still on her. Dash turns 14 this year in November!


Dash after her nights ordeal ... some of the mud has come off but she was a rich clay colour this morning



Alice down the hole that Dash spent the night!

 So, this outlines our progress to date and will aim to keep snapping to make sure we have a record of the progress.