An alternative to building more coops/Pictures added

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I've seen people using them for minis (like, miniature horses) several times, don't see why they shouldn't work for mini donkeys too. Only thing is, they are much better suited to just 1 animal in a paddock than several (because of size and shape, it would be awful easy for someone to corner someone else in there and give them a BAD clock-cleaning).

Pat

 

[Katy]

Here are the picture of the calf/chicken hutch

 

[Heather J]

With minor modifications those would be perfect for brooding chicks. I'm so jealous! great idea, I wonder if my friends still have some on their property--they got out of the cow business too.

 

[tazcat70]

Wow! They would be good for all sorts of things...all sorts of animals.

Minis, goats, fainting goats (ok I LOVE these that is why they are separate), just about any farm animal. A large dog house, throw a bale of straw in there and let them have at!

Thanks for sharing! I love seeing ideas like this, I am not the most creative.

 

[ravenfeathers]

i use one of these as a single hen run or a temporary run for my chicks. i put a door on the front opening and zip-tied some hardware cloth on to the opening for the calf bottle. it's warm, well ventilated, and i love it.

since this photo was taken, i've traded the single hasp latch for two hook and eye closures, top and bottom.

i also use one for my goats. every farm should have a couple of these kicking around. i have a friend who has a dozen or so and uses them for everything, including storing the kids' bikes and raising pigs.

 

[Western Chick]

I find new uses for calf-hutches all the time. My brooding hutches aren't as fancy as some of those other ones but they're good for isolating different groups of birds. Right now I have one for my game birds and one for chicks that no longer need a heat lamp but are too little for the big coop. The round hutches are perfect for this because the chicks can't pile into corners.

Here are my hutches in front of my coop and run. I have them turned cockeyed so rain doesn't blow in with an east wind.

Here's a close up of how I attach wire to the front.

Here are the birds inside. These are older game birds so I just feed them grain on the ground and let them peck around for it. They also get greens tossed in daily. The round hutches are a little akward to move around but I also have a few of the rectagle ones that work great as chicken tractors for a small group of meat birds or a laying trio. You just move them to fresh grass daily.

I also use hutches in my goat pasture to have a hiding spot for the babies but they don't usually use them. I keep one in the garden to harden off seedlings in the spring and to stash tools in when I'm too lazy to take them back to the garage. I've heard of people using them as a mini greenhouse to extend the growing season. I haven't tried this one yet but I'm thinking of planting fall greens in one this year. I guess I better get going on that one!

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I'm going to make a door similar to yours and cover it in plastic for the cold weather. What kind of hinges did you use to attach your door? The opening for the bottles in mine is cut in the back by the window. I think for winter I'll cover it with a piece of wood.

 

[ravenfeathers]

Quote:
I'm going to make a door similar to yours and cover it in plastic for the cold weather. What kind of hinges did you use to attach your door? The opening for the bottles in mine is cut in the back by the window. I think for winter I'll cover it with a piece of wood.

i just used regular door hinges and attached them to the hutch with small blocks of wood on the inside for the screws to bite into. the frame is recycled wood held together with L brackets and then hardware cloth, voila. the one problem with this type of door is that you have to either leave the hutch in one place (which i don't like) or make the locking mechanism very adaptable. because the plastic of the hutch is so bendable, with my single hasp, if i put it on a little bit of a hill, the door wouldn't lock. that's why i switched to hooks and eyes.

 

[Katy]

Where mine are going to be sitting it will be fairly permanant and on the level. Now that I know I like using them I'm also going to put roosts in them.

 

[chickenfever]

Could you get these if you don't know someone in the cattle business?