It's been a long time in planning and construction, but the Chick Chalet is finally complete! In February I approached my son with my idea for a small chicken tractor suitable for raising chicks or providing a private place for a broody hen to set eggs for me. He drew up the plans on his tablet using Sketch Up and we got started on planning.
I wanted to try to foresee any issues, so I took my time with making decisions about material, layout and size. I wanted a coop small enough that I could move it by myself but roomy enough to brood a small group of chicks (6 to 10) to the age of 4 to 6 weeks. I also wanted a place to put a broody hen and hatching eggs that would give her room to get out and stretch her legs, get a bite to eat and a drink, and not have to deal with other chickens bothering her. This could also be used to pen a breeding pair for the length of time needed to collect enough fertile eggs to hatch out.
So, it's a multi-purpose coop/tractor and I'm very pleased with how it came out. It is intended for use only during spring through fall, not for winter. In the winter it will be stored in my big aluminum barn to keep it out of the harsh winter conditions here in NW Ohio.
The frame measures 4 feet wide by 5 feet deep, and 43" high. I can get in the big open gate in front. I intend to get in there with chicks to let them get familiar with me. The cable attached to the bottom of the frame is for pulling it with my lawn mower.
The back side opens in two ways. I can open the back wall to access the inside to fill feeder and water, and to clean out. I also can open the bottom area underneath the coop to place water under it in the shade during warmer months. The pop door locks from the inside with a very heavy duty sliding hasp. There is a grit cup located just inside the door for easy access. The pop door has a smooth 2 x 4 on the bottom of it for perching comfortably. There is a 2" x 2" board attached to the roof for holding a heat lamp for chicks. My son built a removable nest box that can be used by a broody hen to hatch some eggs for me. The nest box is not currently installed because I've got chicks in here.
My son made custom vent holes using his router. He made cute egg shaped cutouts that are lined with hardware cloth and fiberglass screening to deter large insects and varmints. There is also a narrow gap between the roof and the frame to allow for air flow under the soffet area. Since this coop will mainly be used for raising young chicks, we used 1/2" hardware cloth throughout. There is no chicken wire on this coop.
I placed the Chick Chalet right next to my medium sized coop which is housing my Easter Egger teenagers. I have plans to integrate three Easter Egger chicks with the teenagers, so it will give them plenty of time to get used to each other before I integrate in a few weeks.
You can see the ramp that leads up to the pop door here. Notice every door has parachute cord attached. Each door is easily held open by using a few carefully located brass hooks on the top of the run. I joked with my son after we got everything rigged that we should start building sailboats because we are so good at rigging! I love how everything can be opened from the outside without having to climb in, and everything is securely closed using hasps. Also, a small hole was drilled to hold the little American flag!
This was our first wood working project together, so it was a great learning experience. I wanted to start with this small coop to get a better idea of everything involved for our next project which will be a larger chicken tractor for adults. All the wood is pine and I stained it with golden pecan stain to give it some color. We also using Thompson's Water Seal to help protect the wood so we can get lots of years out of it.
Update May 24, 2020
Here is a photo of the Chick Chalet in use!
In August 2020, the brooder coop saved the lives of a batch of Easter Egger chicks when a red tailed hawk tried to attack! Photo taken from inside the house. The Chick Chalet was only about 15 feet from the house. We have a lot of raptors here and they are bold.
I wanted to try to foresee any issues, so I took my time with making decisions about material, layout and size. I wanted a coop small enough that I could move it by myself but roomy enough to brood a small group of chicks (6 to 10) to the age of 4 to 6 weeks. I also wanted a place to put a broody hen and hatching eggs that would give her room to get out and stretch her legs, get a bite to eat and a drink, and not have to deal with other chickens bothering her. This could also be used to pen a breeding pair for the length of time needed to collect enough fertile eggs to hatch out.
So, it's a multi-purpose coop/tractor and I'm very pleased with how it came out. It is intended for use only during spring through fall, not for winter. In the winter it will be stored in my big aluminum barn to keep it out of the harsh winter conditions here in NW Ohio.
The frame measures 4 feet wide by 5 feet deep, and 43" high. I can get in the big open gate in front. I intend to get in there with chicks to let them get familiar with me. The cable attached to the bottom of the frame is for pulling it with my lawn mower.
The back side opens in two ways. I can open the back wall to access the inside to fill feeder and water, and to clean out. I also can open the bottom area underneath the coop to place water under it in the shade during warmer months. The pop door locks from the inside with a very heavy duty sliding hasp. There is a grit cup located just inside the door for easy access. The pop door has a smooth 2 x 4 on the bottom of it for perching comfortably. There is a 2" x 2" board attached to the roof for holding a heat lamp for chicks. My son built a removable nest box that can be used by a broody hen to hatch some eggs for me. The nest box is not currently installed because I've got chicks in here.
My son made custom vent holes using his router. He made cute egg shaped cutouts that are lined with hardware cloth and fiberglass screening to deter large insects and varmints. There is also a narrow gap between the roof and the frame to allow for air flow under the soffet area. Since this coop will mainly be used for raising young chicks, we used 1/2" hardware cloth throughout. There is no chicken wire on this coop.
I placed the Chick Chalet right next to my medium sized coop which is housing my Easter Egger teenagers. I have plans to integrate three Easter Egger chicks with the teenagers, so it will give them plenty of time to get used to each other before I integrate in a few weeks.
You can see the ramp that leads up to the pop door here. Notice every door has parachute cord attached. Each door is easily held open by using a few carefully located brass hooks on the top of the run. I joked with my son after we got everything rigged that we should start building sailboats because we are so good at rigging! I love how everything can be opened from the outside without having to climb in, and everything is securely closed using hasps. Also, a small hole was drilled to hold the little American flag!
This was our first wood working project together, so it was a great learning experience. I wanted to start with this small coop to get a better idea of everything involved for our next project which will be a larger chicken tractor for adults. All the wood is pine and I stained it with golden pecan stain to give it some color. We also using Thompson's Water Seal to help protect the wood so we can get lots of years out of it.
Update May 24, 2020
Here is a photo of the Chick Chalet in use!
In August 2020, the brooder coop saved the lives of a batch of Easter Egger chicks when a red tailed hawk tried to attack! Photo taken from inside the house. The Chick Chalet was only about 15 feet from the house. We have a lot of raptors here and they are bold.
