Anyone Ever Designed A Rollout Poop Board?

[calista]

I'm looking for ideas for a rollout poop board (a standard-size plywood sheet) for under the roost in a large coop, to make it easier on my back to stand outside and shovel the deep litter into a wheelbarrow when it's time to clean under there. A friend with carpentry experience says it should be easy to cut a lift-up door (about 1x6) in the coop wall, put a handle on the back of the poop board, and install rollers on each side.

Would this work? Anybody have some tips or advice for me??? Thanks!

 

[Duke of Orpington]

Quote:
This is exactly the thing I'm considering for my new coop which is under construction now (just finished floor). I was planning on putting a 7' x 1' opening in the back wall of my coop (poop board will be a solid panel 26" x 80" door I bought on clearance at Home Depot). I'm considering using the heavy 22" drawer rollers available at Lowes. They are rated to support 100 pounds, which is more than enough for what the poop board will be. And if one looks around out there are probably even heavier duty rollers if you wanted something different. And as you said I was going to put a hinged flap/door to close it all off.

This way I wouldn't have to go inside the coop to clean the poop board daily. And I also will have outside access egg/nest boxes. And my feeder may be refillable from outside the coop as well.

Yes, thanks for mentioning the 'rollout poop board'. Maybe we can get some more feedback on this feature.

Ron

 

[Penturner]

I will say that this is how they did it for the chicken houses down the road from our farm. those houses held 20,000 chickens each and you pulled the floors out with a tractor, cleaned them with a garden tractor and blade. and replaced the wheelbarrow with a few dump trucks.

Just some concerns from having worked with lots of plywood. At the very least use exterior grade so it stand up to the moisture longer. you will still need to paint or seal it or youwill jsut have a delaminated warped mess real quick. I would actually recomend sheet metal rather than ply wood. the big chicken houses where made of steel plate by the way.

Keep in mind that as youroll it out from under the coop it still has to have support of some form. I can think of everything from tracks built for it to roll out onto to drawer slides (Yes they make 4 foot long and longer drawer slides) but geting ones that can support a lot of weight would be expensive. A couple or four old skate bourds would make a great set of wheels and be cheap. if your ground is smooth enough you might get away with no tracks and such.

 

[sashurlow]

You could always cover it with heavy duty PVC impregnated fabric and then just roll it up carry it outside and hose it off.

 

[calista]

Thanks for the tips! I got some valuable insights into making this idea work and my carpenter friend is currently brainstorming the concept to other carpenters.

I'd just install one of those nifty rollout cargo beds for pickups, but that would cost TWICE what the coop is going to.

 

[Duke of Orpington]

Yep, you're right about that running up the cost. I've already spent more than I planned and I just got my floor done. But hey, if I'm gonna have me some chicks I want em to have a nice place. Actually I want everything to be as easy and convenient as possible so I can spend more time just enjoying my peeps!

 

[Larry33843]

I've seen several different designs using formica glued to the plywood on the poop deck. Whether the floor slides out or you have the lowest board on wall hinged to lift up and rake the poop out.
Still working on design for our chicken tractor, about decided on 12' or 16' chicken wire pen over 2"x4" framework with the coop (laying boxes and roosts) framed up and closed in on one end with wheels on that end. 2"x4" handles will extend from other end to facilitate rolling around. The tractor should be fairly easy to roll about with the coop mounted on end of pen frame as counterbalance.
This design will give me 144 - 256 sq. ft. and 12'-16' on end to build large coop. Hope to get approx. 20 pullets from LG incubator batch of 41. Planning on setting about six eggs of each variety I want- Delawares, Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, Blue/Red Laced Wyandottes, French Wheaton Marans, Silver Laced Wyandottes, and Blue Splash Marans.