Shipping Crate Coop

[Kacey Elle]

So I was bored and took on your shipping crate project to amuse myself. I used a few old kleenex boxes cut in half to roughly approximate a 3x3x2 shipping crate and then thought about how I'd make them into a coop. I came up with a simple version that just uses materials from 2 crates, a few 2x4s (two 5' long and two 4' long) plus a box of screws. Maybe a few hinges if you want for the roof. It is pretty well protected on three sides and has a open front so you'll have lots of ventilation to keep it cooler in the summer. The whole thing should fit in one end of your enclosed and covered run so you won't need to worry too much about the roof shedding water or enclosing the front to keep out predators. It also means you don't have to worry about building a door or other means to access. The open front is perfect for that.

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Looking at this again I think I'd put the 2x4s that are holding the two crates together on the inside of the coop instead of the back and outside. That would give it more strength as two sides of the 2x4 would then be in contact with 2 sides of the crate. For example of the 2x4 on the bottom would then be in contact with the bottom of the coop and the back side. The top one would support the roof of the coop and the back side.

I like these type of small coops raised up off the ground. Having the floor higher makes cleaning them out much easier. Just take a wheelbarrow or garden wagon (or just a tote or large tub) and place it next to the coop opening. Then take a rack and just scrape all the soiled bedding right into your container. It takes me just a couple of mins to rake my coop floor clean and I don't have to shovel or fork up any heavy soiled bedding. I then just wheel the old bedding over to the compost heap and dump it. Super quick and easy and no back strain. Another nice feature of a raised coop is it opens up the space under the coop for the chickens to use. Its a nice area to put food and water. For you it will also provide a cool, shady area for them to use during hot summer weather. I also think chickens are just happier roosting higher up off the ground.

Think of the dominoes in the pic below as support posts. I'd use 4x4 posts. You would likely need 6-8 so that you could have support at each corner, the inside corner, and where the seam from the two crates come together. If you have access to cinder blocks you could also use those stacked together.

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T


If you wanted or needed the roof to shed water you could likely come up with something using a sheet of plywood and a few more 2x4s. This might be getting into a bit more complicated building but shouldn't be too impossible.


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- This is amazing! Thank you so much! I am totally a visual learner and (duh) was drawing these horrible attempts at 3-d coops that are nowhere near as useful as the model you created.

I hope you weren't negatively affected by the earthquake/tsunami!

 

[RUNuts]

@AkChris looks good! I may have to scrounge up some shipping boxes just to try this.

@Kacey Elle the open coop should take care of you. If you need to, it is easy to expand. The green roost looks to be 4' long, so you get 4 chickens. If you wanted, construct a mirror image, connect along one wall with one of the lids (or a pallet) and you would have a "double coop".

The pallet coop I envisioned is very similar to this. As always, we want pictures of your finished work of art. It's gonna be gorgeous!

Since you are in California, I'm not concerned about rain and water proofing. If you are, some roll roofing is your friend. The chickens will get out of the rain.

 

[SA&P]

I was following this thread with interest. Very good of you to post the diagram of the coop. *Gold Star*

 

[AkChris]

I hope you weren't negatively affected by the earthquake/tsunami!

Thanks for asking. We felt the quake here but it was just a little bit of shaking. We get quakes like this several times a year so I didn't really think anything of it. Tsunami didn't really happen. I guess there were 6 inches or so of raise but since we get 20+ feet tide changes a few inches isn't even noticeable.

 

[Kacey Elle]

@AkChris glad to hear it! I lived through the Loma Prieta earthquake and whenever I hear about big earthquakes it reminds me of that scary time....

 

[happybooker1]

I found a 4’ cube wooden crate on CL that was my first coop. I only had Bantys in there but as many as 10
At a time. They seemed happy and were let outside in a yard run during the day.

I cut the top 1/2 of 2 opposite sides out, lined with hardware cloth, covered with 1/2 sheets of treated plywood on hinges so I could cover windows during winter or bad storms. There was plenty of ventilation then. Nothing has even broken in to it, or turned it over. It was elevated about 3’ off the ground. I still use it as a chick brooder box.

 

[grp]

Hello,

I'm beginning a coop that will hopefully be done by April/May. I recently saw an ad for free wooden shipping crates but have the following questions/problems. Any advice welcome!

First, some background. I'm going to get three hens but will possibly get another two-three in a few more years. I can do a max of six layers in my city and want to space them out so that I get a few at max egg-laying potential (I get the logic of culling but just don't have the guts to do it). Yes, I realize that there can be difficulties with integrating new flock members. I'm in California so will have no snow and the chicken coop will be attached to a 5'x14' covered run. The chickens will be able to get out of the run in the afternoons/weekends. The main predator I'm worried about is a raccoon (I know they come into my yard occasionally) but there are also dogs in the neighborhood that could potentially get into my backyard.

I'm spending most of my available budget on the run. I've scavenged 2'x4's and 4'x4's, and some fence boards. I'm hoping to pay for only hardware, roofing, vents, and hardware cloth.



Problems:
1. I have no building skill. I have two friends willing to help me out but I want to make it as painless for them as possible.
2. Budget is about $200.
3. The opening for my backyard fence is 33" (see question #1).

Questions:
1. The ad posted says that most of the shipping crates are 3'x3' with a height of between 2' and 2.5'. There is one 4'x4'x3.5' but it wouldn't fit through my fence to get to my backyard. Keeping in mind that I live in California and the hens won't be in the coop except at night, will 9 square feet be acceptable for my eventual 6 chickens? 5? I know it isn't ideal (that it should be four square feet per chicken) but is it CRUEL under the circumstances of California weather?
2. If yes, I can try to get two 3'x3' shipping crates and attach them somehow. How would I/my friends do that? Is the easiest way to just buy a metal hinge/bracket and attach them? Would that be a "weak spot" for predators?
3. I'm planning to take one of the ad's smaller 2'x2' shipping crates for a separate nesting box. I know they are usually attached to the coop but is there any issue with keeping it separate (again, I'm going for the least amount of "building" work)? I was thinking of putting it on low legs to keep it off the floor but having it under the coop and accessible from the outside of the run.

I recently made my coop out of an old machine crate. it was not as cheap/easy as i had hoped. i would definitely recommend just framing your own coop with 2x4s or 2x2s. you'll be able to size it to fit your space better.

 

[Kacey Elle]

@grp
Thanks for the advice! I am pretty sure I am just going to do a run with one end covered and some sort of removable 4th side (like cloth or tarp) for winter and/or to hide birds from predator view. The entire run will be predator proof. I do think that will be best for CA weather, considering it's been over 70 for the last week and is supposed to stay in 60s/70s for another two weeks. That is unusual for us...but global warming is real.