Bamboo Chicken Coop Plans

[mstricer]

We just started going bamboo, this is its second winter in the ground and I'm really hoping it takes off this year. Its not the clumping kind so we will probally have forest of unwanted bamboo. but thats alright we want to make a deco fence out of it even will treat it so i dont rot to fast. please when you figure out how to build your coop out of this post.

 

[lagertowen]

I built a coop out of bamboo tonight. I have some new hatchlings about to arrive so they will need their own place until they grow large enough to integrate with the others. I built it ark style or A-frame style. I used plastic locking ties to hold everything together and strong plastic chicken wire type fencing. The whole thing is light as a feather and it's approximately 8-9 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3-4 feet tall at the center. I just hacked down a bunch of bamboo and had it put together within 3 hours. I made a small door on one end so the chickens will be able to go in and out during the day and put an old pet carrier inside of it as their shelter. As far as my access to the inside, it's so light I can just prop it up to access their food and water. I will be staking it to ground with tent stakes in between moves. It will make a great portable run and help fertilize the lawn too.

 

[nanawendy]

I love bamboo... good for you!

 

[Royd]

Here you go. Once you learn to split the bamboo, flat, so that it will bend, without breaking; this setup, would make a great run... I use them, to protect my garden, from the chickens. I use bamboo stakes, placed about an inch apart, to close up the ends.

Sorry, guys.. I guess I should read through a thread, before posting the same picture, twice.

 

[arliejacobs]

Building a backyard chicken coop will be one of the best investments you'll ever make.The whole idea is to create a really wonderful place for your chickens to live and thrive. Whether you choose small or large chicken coop plans, birds love having a place to call their own. Coops are also a great way to keep chicken poop under control and too keep the chickens themselves from running wild.

 

[indianporfavor]

i wish i had some access to bamboo here, i wouldnt mind using that for some supports. come on craigslist dont let me down!

 

[lagertowen]

I got pictures of the coop I built but I can't find the cable to download them from my camera to the computer. Just my luck! I'll put them up as soon as I find that cord. It really is nice. It inspired me to build some bamboo trellises for the vegetable garden to grow beans and cucumbers on. I've got a bamboo craze right now!

 

[Kaybug137]

I would say, bamboo on the outside, and for the walls, and on the inside place chicken wire to keep predators out. I'm thinking about making a hut thing with the bamboo growing around, with a sun roof and windows.

 

[chick-n-pigs]

Looking at doing a chicken tractor out of bamboo myself. Going to buy some of these http://www.calibamboo.com/bambooslats.html ; soak in water for 48 hours and then steam. The plan is to bend them into a hoop tractor for the summer. Thoughts?

 

[chookwit]

Hey everyone, I have built a bamboo coop that sounds alot like lagertowens.




It is about 9 x ~4 and was a great fit over my deep bed rows. All I did was use medium gauge wire to connect the bamboo, and to connect the chicken wire/hardware cloth to the frame. The open end is closed by a hinged plywood door not shown. The cons are it could not hold up to a large dog attack or something like that, and it is semi fragile just because of the wire connections, and in heavy rains/ winter it required the use of additional plastic sheeting to waterproof the house and half the run. The pros are that it is super light and easily moved, cost was free accept the hardware cloth and chicken wire, and the chooks are safely off the ground.
It served its purpose well and has been retired as of last night. Its new modified form will be just the two run sections with no house, as a temporary grazing pen.
Another note on bamboo and future bamboo info. In the future I would want only bamboo that is as thick or thicker than one inch. When it is freshly cut you can drill all the right holes you need without splitting. Then you heat treat each piece by holding it over a flame long enough for it to get glossy looking but not actually long enough to start the drying process. This gloss is the starch or sugar in the bamboo solidifying. Once this is done you can either go ahead and build, or set the poles aside for a few months of drying. A few ideas I want to try in the future is covering each joint in fiberglass tape and/or epoxy and hemp fibers, which would stabilize and prevent cracking.