WHAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR. THE MOST ASKED ABOUT HOMESTEAD / FARM PROJECT

I get asked about this a lot and I've been wanting to do this project for ages, so glad I finally found some time to get it started :) This is a big step for our farm!
Hope you enjoy it.
Hi there :) We're Marc & Allys, a couple who left the UK in 2021 to search of somewhere we could build a homestead. This led us to one of Portugal's beautiful natural parks.
Self-sufficiency is important to us, whilst we're not off grid, we're keen to rely less and less on external systems. Follow us as we take on many things for the first time - learning as we go. DIY, Gardening, Growing our own food, Homestead'ing, Studying our land, Learning about permaculture and other farming techniques. We also plan to regenerate our abandoned land and create a thriving ecosystem - which isn't an easy task given we're in Portugal's hottest region (Alentejo!)
Follow us on our journey as we face new challenges, and acquire new skills!
If you enjoy it, hit like and subscribe for future videos :)
Instagram: / rootsdownhomestead
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#homestead #homesteading #portugalfarm #farm #farmlife #offgrid #offgridfarm #portugal #alentejo #portuguesehomestead #countrylife #ruralproperty #agriculture #offthegrid #farming #permaculture #diy #organic #organicfarming

[@LPay-jy8mx]

Mark, To stabilize the legs, add diagonal brackets -- two per leg, tying the bottom frame of the coop to (the top third of) each leg. It will make a huge different in strength and the structure wont wobble. And no need to express self-doubt about your methods or approach, there are many varied ways to end up with a good result, including starting with few skills, making mistakes, and figuring it out as you go along. You don't need to be inwardly organized or have perfect skills, or to be any way other than the way you already are, this is YOUR homestead and life, so just go for it, without apology or worry! We gain inspiration from your learning journey and can relate more when you aren't perfect (hello, fellow human!). And we admire you for expanding your experiences to go beyond your comfort zone (this takes courage!) -- because that's what allows a person to grow, and you and Allys and your homestead are all growing in inspiring ways, as you create your dream. Great progress!!

[@starrmont4981]

Very well said!

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much Lee - i did do that in the end and it really helped :) I really appreciate your comments of encouragement, it means a lot - thank you :)

[@denisehicks7525]

There are no backwards ways, what ever works for you is perfect.

[@johnleeman5992]

It all comes back to 90 degrees. If your pitch of the roof is 70 degrees, then your adjoining angle is 20.

[@danielpope]

Careful with how you support that roof, looks like all the weight is going through the 2 central braces which will bend and put a lot of stress on the screws holding them to the perimeter. Looking good though, looking forward to seeing what comes next

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Great point Daniel, i did change a little, new video on this should be out Weds :)

[@thenodiggardener]

There is nothing wrong with having a vague idea of your plan, then just going with it. It makes you more adaptable when you realise a fixed plan will virtually always throw a curve ball at you anyway. Most especially where land and livestock are concerned.

[@arjanvogel6444]

Thanks for your vid 😇💟💟💟 Love and bless you guys, good work, maybe make some corner Pease's on the up right legs a short wood with 2-45 degree.

[@moniquevelasco20]

Great job Mark! Looking forward to seeing it finished. It's looking really good, but as others had commented, put brackets on the legs. The sandwiches looked yummy Alice. Love and be safe! 😘🤗🌼ve

[@rodroper211]

when storing timber in open sided shed put stretchers/stickers /spacers between layers only need 5 mil or so . help greatly in stopping warping and timber dries better

[@xavierwatteeuw8275]

Nice project. Diagonals would be useful for the rigidity of the foots.

[@LindaDutchy1988]

That coop is a palace! It's big enough to house a person 😂 I love the bloopers at the end of the videos, I feel that mumbling pain😂

[@neutonrenda2303]

I like the overhang of the roof, it's big enough to keep the water away from your siding. Great that you're going to be collecting the water, makes it more self sustaining.👍

[@johnnydale6515]

Cannot wait for the chickens and to see you collect eggs every day , how are the swells doing

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Same :) looking forward to getting some :) Swales are doing well - constantly impressed with how much water they hold!

[@paulettebarber7219]

Looks like it will be a very nice coop! I agree a vinyl or laminate flooring will be really good for keeping things easy to clean and having an automatic door for them is excellent also.

[@polgarauk5606]

Hi Marc and Alys 👋😊 You know what they say Marc "Behind every great man there is an even greater Woman" 😂😂 Chicken coop is looking good but do agree with others you need some braces on the legs for extra strength (then again I am not an expert by even a tiny amount just watch a lot of KZbin in my spare time 😂😂😂).

[@neutonrenda2303]

If you put corner braces like you made for your water tank storage area, it would stop most of the movement in the base. It looks strong enough, but if it moves all the time it might start loosening up the joints.👍

[@karenmarshall7056]

Make sure plenty ventilation and not use vinyl flooring chickens can’t grip on that good luck

[@insAneTunA]

Rome wasn't build on a single day either. Don't worry too much about gaps and all that, the plywood ties it all together. Lumber is never perfect when you buy it because it shrinks and expands differently, and very often it is a bit twisted as well. If you want to have nice straight wood you need to run it through a planer. Which is not a bad tool to have. Also handy for reclaiming old used wood and stripping the paint from it while making it straight and pretty again. It does make building stuff a lot easier. 👍

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Very true, it's taken me way longer than i thought but it's coming along nicely - hope to share new updates soon :)

[@alanwakefield2453]

Use exterior quality ply for longer life and finish with yacht varnish. Max Mat do a good yacht varnish at a reasonable price.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks for the tip!

[@mikeduda3173]

Not only does a vinyl floor help prevent the plywood from rotting, is also makes cleaning it out a whole lot easier

[@rootsdownhomestead]

exactly Mike :)

[@travellingarts93]

What a nice and sturdy coop do it once and do it well ,it looks like you made a long lasting one, great job ,the clamps are the extra hands that can make your job a lot easier, did no see you using them, brilliant video, pleasure watching your videos

[@101life9]

You're getting pretty handy...great job. Blessed chickens, yu better produce many eggs a day 😅😊

[@LifebyBertie]

Hi guys, great start on the Chicken Villa, is the contraption behind it gonna be part of it? That is going to be huge!! Anyways, brackets on the legs at a 45 degree angle would help the structure in a big way. The support beams you put in to help carry the weight of the roof should be vertical to make them load barring. Last one...promise, the roof beams should also be vertical and you need 2 extra on the corner of each side to equal the weight on the structure. Just saying to help you out. Have a great week!!! Cheers Bert 🙏🏻❤

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Yeah the old polytunnel structure is going to be the run! We hope to freerange them but wanted to give a large outdoor space for them to use when we don't let them loose on the land haha :) Did make some of those changes, video should be out on wednesday :)

[@robwarren5744]

Use a piece of old Lino on the floor inside the Coop. You can then easily rake & brush the mess out, don’t forget to compost this. Rob, Cardiff, Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ps, don’t forget to use the roof for water catchment for cleaning the Coop & watering the Chickens. 👍

[@karipreston1204]

Chickens……eggs………..Can’t ask for better!

[@AnnemarieWillcox]

May the chickens pay you back with plenty of eggs🍗

[@chinaski2020]

Love the channel. I do worry about your joinery though.. Taking a little time to do a few half-laps and your wooden structures are going to last a lot longer. Anyway, keep up the good work fella!

[@garywarren5048]

Could of just put rafters/strapping straight on top, with out the need to build a separate piece. Roof is only resting on the 2 beams, seems a weak point. All my plans are in my head, I'll figure it out when the time comes!!

[@juanitakauffman6336]

Looking forward to the finished chicken house.

[@lindagage7315]

Looking forward to your next video, take the advice from people who raise chickens! Well done!

[@Rasputin-p4e]

Mate, put diagonal brackets on those legs to stabilize the wobble. And dont doubt yer skill, you are almost at par with us carpenter crowd.

[@Reet64]

Sturdy enough to not fly away with your chickens in it in a strong wind? Looks like it! The way she brings you smoothies and sandwiches, one might get the impression that she likes you or something, eh? 😄

[@maregrobler1960]

What a beautiful rooster in the Chicken coop😊granny South Africa❤

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Haha thank you :)

[@denniswray470]

Are all your chicken's heavyweight wrestlers, 4x4 inch cross members built for a lifetime no doubt good for you mate.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Hope it'll be built for a lifetime haha :)

[@manny-perez]

I have aged several years watching the building of this chicken coop! 😛

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Glad to hear i could help speed up your aging :)

[@assuncaomeireles198]

Agora já vi que vai fazer um galinheiro está a ficar fantástico

[@assuncaomeireles198]

Olá Mike já tinha saudades suas e da Alice gosto muito dos seus vidios sempre excelentes. Se nao é indiscrisao para que é essa tábuas? Vai construir alguma coisa? Desejo-vos uma boa Páscoa 🌿🌿🦋 muito feliz e cá espero por mais vidios God bless you both🙏🏼thank you very much 🫶🫶🫶

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Muito obrigado :) As tábuas são para outras partes do galinheiro, que vos mostrarei no próximo vídeo :D

[@sonyagair1219]

Can't wait to see the end result 😊

[@Anita-n7c7n]

Wow Marc, a Chicken Palace. Coming along nicely (weather permitting). You should never doubt yourself, you have shown what you are capable of in all of your videos. Love watching every week. Thank you.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks so much, very kind of you :)

[@feel7251]

leg braces a must otherwise the wind will kill it

[@TheJimcrooks800]

Really good work - and the shout out about the diagonal brackets (for cross-bracing) is a really good bit of advice. Great progress on the whole concept of land regeneration and also for more sustainable living. Thanks for letting us follow.

[@andypayne1571]

Chicken coop looks great, it should last for years. As for the beam that will have the gutter on rather than try to work out angles it can be easier to fit the roof rafters with an over hang then using a level plumb a line on each end at desired overhang and square across the top and cut with a handsaw. Then use a string line or good straight edge to mark the tops of the rafters and plumb down you will then end up with plumb cuts on the end of each rather you can fit a timber to. I'm not sure if I explained this okay but I'm sure there's a YT video.

[@victormpmac]

O meu cunhado tem gaiolas dessas para canários e periquitos.

[@answatkins4677]

Re-enforce your bottom legs. It will help a lot. Good luck

[@patriceogrady9763]

How many chickens are you planning for? Looks small.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Only 4 but is ample room for 6-8 :)

[@asc3184]

Thanks for sharing another video with us . I am looking forward to seeing ur new project completed. At the moment, it looks more like a modern structure/ sculpture. I can't yet visualise the finished product . Am sure that u have a plan.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks :) Not long as we will reveal some good progress - almost finished now!

[@manny-perez]

That's a pretty small chicken coop unless you plan to have only one chicken? 🤪

[@rootsdownhomestead]

it's ample size for 4, which is the amount we want to get, realistically we could fit 6-8 in there :)

[@manny-perez]

Throw that crappy window out, it doesn't go with all the new wood!

[@insAneTunA]

It will probably get painted.

[@xavierwatteeuw8275]

Nice project! Diagonals are very efficient to rigidity your structure.

[@rootsdownhomestead]

You'll have to see :)

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks :)

[@clivewright5437]

Thanks for sharing

[@rootsdownhomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@petercarbutt3706]

put linoleum on the floor,easier to clean

[@CynthiaEvans-i2f]

❤