The retaining wall adjacent to the chicken coop has been a work in progress since December 2006. The reason the hillside digging began in the first place was to replace and expand the coop. Eleven years later, on December 22, 20017, the retaining wall was done!
In December 2006, we decided to start digging out the hillside, one wheelbarrow at a time.
2006 Images
2007 Images
2008 Expanding the COOP
In 2008, we purchased used cement blocks from Craigslist. We still did not build the wall. Over time, the hillside eroded.
2011 IMAGE
The back area had not been dug out very much, only along the side of the coop.
2012 IMAGE
Knowing that I had the help of farmland Will Burke enabled me to tackle the wall project. In late November I started cleaning up the pathway. I used a reciprocating saw with a tree branch blade to cut out all the roots.
In December, Will helped me dig out the hillside and prepare for the retaining wall.
The trench was dug 12″ deep. I estimated 4″ of gravel, 2″ of sand, and 6″ of block. The trench was dug 22″ wide for 12-18″ of back fill. We used a stick to measure off the coop for a straight line. There was just enough room in the pathway to fit a wheelbarrow.
Will brought over the retaining wall blocks and so many were buried in dirt and grass that we didn’t really know how many we had. We weren’t sure if there were enough, but we had the perfect number of blocks.
Laying the first row of blocks was easier than expected to level each one, especially using sand. On December 19, the second row of blocks was added, including the filter fabric and 36 feet of 4″ drain tube.
Finished wall, ready for planting grasses for the chickens to eat.
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