Another coop from scraps.

[AA Maple]

13 assorted pallets, a few sheets of old plywood and OSB, some 2X3s and a couple 2x4s and pine planks I got from a friend, hinges and hardware cloth I had sitting in the garage from I can't remember where, and the last of the old metal roof. Only thing I had to buy cash was the chicken wire for the run and 10 rough cut 2x4s to frame out the roof and the eyes, hooks, and door handle. Out of pocket about 40$. This is my second pallet coop, the previous one has been solid and so far impervious to predators for about 3 years now.

The run is only there until they learn where home is and I may or may not ever use the kiddie pool (also given to my by a friend). There's some swampy area quite close that they're going to love playing in where I intend them to spend most of their days.

 

[Chris Lesley]

Looks good and glad to hear your last one has been predator proof!

I am currently struggling with predators so considering getting an automatic chicken coop door something like this.

Any ideas on how you would go about making it out of recycled parts?

 

[AA Maple]

Any ideas on how you would go about making it out of recycled parts?

If I had to rig one up myself, my best idea would be to start with a car window mechanism, but you'd need some switches, relays, and a 12V DC power supply (I doubt many people have this kicking around). I'm also not sure what options we have for timers that'll run on 12V, or if you'd even want a timer? Might could be a light sensing switch would be best to open and close at dawn and dusk and keep up with longer and shorter days as the seasons change. You could go as far as to putting an AGM battery on it with solar charging. You could get super fancy and incorporate a car alarm which would give you some push button options for doing things, and for enough money I think some of them could work via cellphone so you could click to open or close from anywhere.

Honestly if I needed an automatic door I'd buy one off-the-shelf unless you have a wider assortment of odds and ends than I do or just really want to McGuyver something together it'll probably end up cheaper.

I have never used those automatic doors, I like to be around and check on things in morning and evening and if I'm going to be out of town my neighbor will drive down and open/close coops and check food and water for me.

Biggest predator issue I've had is raccoons and if I spot signs of them around I use the Duke brand "dog proof" coon traps baited with some sardines. Gets them every time. Last year I had a bobcat living under the house for a while, I didn't manage to trap him and he was too fast to get a shot off on, but he must have moved on or starved over the winter. I think he got a couple of my neighbor's birds before he left though.

 

[Chris Lesley]

If I had to rig one up myself, my best idea would be to start with a car window mechanism, but you'd need some switches, relays, and a 12V DC power supply (I doubt many people have this kicking around). I'm also not sure what options we have for timers that'll run on 12V, or if you'd even want a timer? Might could be a light sensing switch would be best to open and close at dawn and dusk and keep up with longer and shorter days as the seasons change. You could go as far as to putting an AGM battery on it with solar charging. You could get super fancy and incorporate a car alarm which would give you some push button options for doing things, and for enough money I think some of them could work via cellphone so you could click to open or close from anywhere.

Honestly if I needed an automatic door I'd buy one off-the-shelf unless you have a wider assortment of odds and ends than I do or just really want to McGuyver something together it'll probably end up cheaper.

I have never used those automatic doors, I like to be around and check on things in morning and evening and if I'm going to be out of town my neighbor will drive down and open/close coops and check food and water for me.

Biggest predator issue I've had is raccoons and if I spot signs of them around I use the Duke brand "dog proof" coon traps baited with some sardines. Gets them every time. Last year I had a bobcat living under the house for a while, I didn't manage to trap him and he was too fast to get a shot off on, but he must have moved on or starved over the winter. I think he got a couple of my neighbor's birds before he left though.

Normally I like to stay around but sometimes if I am late with work I can't get back in time I think it would be very helpful.

I might just have to bite the bullet and go with the off-the-shelf unit then.

Thank you for your help

 

[aart]

More pics of coop, please?
What are the dimensions?
Will all those ducks fit in there?

 

[Tre3hugger]

Like your style with the upcycling. Nice job! Would love to see more pics , especially of the build process if you happen to have any.

 

[AA Maple]

Like your style with the upcycling. Nice job! Would love to see more pics , especially of the build process if you happen to have any.

No pictures of the build. Took 2 of us about 6 hours + a drive to the lumber yard for 2x4s and door hardware. Mostly it was a cross between getting a sunburn and feeding black flies... I'm still itching. We did not stop to take pictures as this went together.

More pics of coop, please?
What are the dimensions?
Will all those ducks fit in there?

We used the 4 foot side of the pallets on the horizontal so floor space is 8x8', height on the front is a little over 6 feet (enough that I can get in and out without bumping my head). These Pekins are unsexed and all but 1 or 2 of the drakes will wind up in the freezer. They'll be free to roam the property once they're trained enough to go in at night and should be adequate space for the hens + one or two drakes come winter.

A couple more pictures of the new coop. I may or may not add laying boxes later this year (rest assured it'll be from something scavenged)

 

[AA Maple]

Some pictures of the other two houses. One again all from pallets but with some metal roof around the bottom and overhang on the roof (had a lot more of the metal roof scraps in the yard we were trying to use up. Both use some old fence that a friend brought over. We had a couple oddball long pallet thingies, one became a door of the chicken coop the other a roost in the meat bird coop.

The smaller one holds laying hens (plus one Rouen duck that came with them from the hatchery), the pallet coop holds 25-30 broilers or 6-8 turkeys.

 

[aart]

so floor space is 8x8'

Ahhh...only looked half of that.