Moggie the Monitor's Outdoor Pen

[wolfy-hound]

This is Moggie's cage for outside. I'm building it by myself, so I am using a prefab method. It will be a 8 foot by 8 foot pen, 6 feet high. Wire on top and bottom, with a door. I had to get some help for one part of assembly, that will hopefully happen tomorrow.
Here is the materials I started with, and the tools I used.


Here is the frame built(this is the wall with the doorway):



This is the wall finished, this will be the "inside" side:



This is the finished wall, the "outside" side:


I finished this wall, and one just like it(with the center support in the center rather than offset for the doorway) in about 1 & 1/2 hours total. That includes cutting boards to size. Unfortunately it kept raining and drizzling, and my cordless drill battery was dead and had to be charged, etc. It was hot and muggy, so I had to keep stopping because of these reasons, so it ended up taking most of the day to get it all done. With any luck the rest should be finished(including wire on it) in another 2 hours of work tomorrow. Except maybe the door.. I'm debating on how it is designed... anyway. This is where I am, and all of it is put together with drywall style screws, no nails.
Wolfy(who loves that she can use power tools)

[jknudson]

Neat project, keep us updated.

[wolfy-hound]

Soo, I'm impatient, I did more work on the pen today. Still working by myself, but it will be much easier to finish it with the 2nd person tomorrow... and I ran out of screws. Ya ya, yuk it up, so I thought a box of 50 would be plenty.
Here is the first wall up, as you can see it was easy to prop up the prefab wall built yesterday, and attach the plywood side.


Now, you can see the 2nd prefab wall (also built yesterday) attached in place. Siince the plywood was already in place, it was easier to prop the 2nd wall in place and put in the screws.



And here is the end of today, with the 2x4 reinforcement outer boards put into place. The upper board is not in place yet, and you can't tell, but the far side doesn't have its 2x4 reinforceing in yet, ran out of screws.


Now, tomorrow hopefully I can get more screws, and wire cutters, so I can put the last 4 2x4s and the wire on. I also built the door, and it will need the hinges and the wire on it, then that should be it, ready for decorating!
Wolfy(proud as punch at her progress!)

[Wild Bill]

Hey Theresa, are you gonna put a bottom in that?

[wolfy-hound]

Wire top, wire bottom, wire sides, and a heavy layer of cypress mulch in the bottom as well.
Yes, Miss Moggie do love digging.
Wolfy

[mr~python]

cypress mulch does not hold burrows.

how cold is it where you're at?

id also worry about the wood weathering and rotting.

[wolfy-hound]

The wood should be fine, if it starts to go bad, then I can rip off the plywood and re-plywood it, that's why I used screws. I didn't want to use treated plywood.
The large wrie pen behind it will be the permanent pen, 25 x 25 feet. I think IT should satify anyone as to habitat for a monitor. It will just take me time to refab it.
I will be making an indoor cage for when it starts to finally get cold. I'm in Florida, so it will be a bit before it starts to get cold, and when it starts getting cold only at night, I will bring her in for the night, and put her back out during the day.
Do you think Waterproofing the wood would help? I mean, wood is what I've seen on every single outdoor cage I've seen.
Wolfy

[mr~python]

get in touch with Shay. he visits repticzone and varanus.nl and has built some really nice outdoor enclosures for his argus'. a good outdoor enclosure is made out of fencing or wire material.

[Wild Bill]

Wire top, wire bottom, wire sides, and a heavy layer of cypress mulch in the bottom as well.
Yes, Miss Moggie do love digging.
Wolfy

[Ginevive]

Wow, that's big enough for a smaller horse or some goats! Nice job you're doing there.