Calf Hutch Coop?

[mistyseptember]

Hi! I am trying to work with what I have and what I have is this approximately 8 ft x 7 ft plastic calf hutch, and the pipe frame from 1 and a half garages in a box. One and a half bc some of the pies from one of them got bent.

My concept is to
1) attach a door to the calf hutch, ideally a human door and a chicken door.
2) using poultry netting and some kind of wire enclose the pipe frame and butt it up against the hutch to form an enclosed run.
3) add both a human size and chicken size door to the run
3) add a chicken tunnel extending from chicken size door around the perimeter of my garden space

But, I have no idea how to do these doors! The whole hutch is wider at the bottom than the top. On a scale of 1-10 my carpentry skills are a 3. I have built a couple janky shelves and some raised beds.

Furthermore, I have been mooning over adorable coops for years, but just cannot justify the cost and I don't have the skill to build one. Any ideas on how to make this thing cute? I was kind of thinking perhaps making a false front like you see in Hollywood set design and that could hold the door? Or maybe painting the hutch? Adding lattice or reclaimed windows to the outside to make it look like a cottage? Perhaps with little window boxes? I don't know how to make them stick.

Any creative ideas are welcome. I think overall I can make it safe, secure and functional. Making it something I look forward to looking at would be icing on the cake!

 

[CinnaBun]

Welcome to forums!

Where are you from? How are you winters? (If mild could you just forget the door and place the entire coop in a predator proof run??)

Maybe start looking on Craigslist, Facebook, nextdoor for a door? Hopefully with a frame? Or build the frame?

 

[mistyseptember]

Welcome to forums!

Where are you from? How are you winters? (If mild could you just forget the door and place the entire coop in a predator proof run??)

Maybe start looking on Craigslist, Facebook, nextdoor for a door? Hopefully with a frame? Or build the frame?

We are in northern PA so winters can get pretty harsh. When we had our goats in the hutch, we actually moved them to the dairy barn for the winter. This was allowed bc they are also dairy animals. We are not allowed to have chickens in the barn. My research has not yielded any results for an easy to open and close, daily use type door specifically made for the hutches. They do manufacture storm doors, but they aren't really used for the function I need.

I will keep brain storming to see what I can come up with. I am not sure how to attach stuff to the plastic. The calf hutch was kind of pricey so I am nervous to ruin it. I think what I would have to do is screw boards around the door frame, sandwiching the plastic in between to make a frame to support doors.

I will go on the hunt for some doors on marketplace! Great idea! Thanks!

 

[aart]

make it safe, secure and functional

Much more important than "cute", IMO.

and the pipe frame from 1 and a half garages in a box

What exactly is this?

I am not sure how to attach stuff to the plastic.

You'd need to drill clearance holes and use bolts, nuts and lock washers to attach anything to the hutch.
I don't think it would make a very good coop, mostly due to the lack of ventilation.

We are in northern PA

Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[wolfwalker]

We are in northern PA so winters can get pretty harsh. When we had our goats in the hutch, we actually moved them to the dairy barn for the winter. This was allowed bc they are also dairy animals. We are not allowed to have chickens in the barn. My research has not yielded any results for an easy to open and close, daily use type door specifically made for the hutches. They do manufacture storm doors, but they aren't really used for the function I need.

I will keep brain storming to see what I can come up with. I am not sure how to attach stuff to the plastic. The calf hutch was kind of pricey so I am nervous to ruin it. I think what I would have to do is screw boards around the door frame, sandwiching the plastic in between to make a frame to support doors.

I will go on the hunt for some doors on marketplace! Great idea! Thanks!

You might be overthinking it slightly, if you assume you have to have a door the size of the opening.

What I would do is top build a door frame that consists of a top board that seals and gives you a nice level surface at the top. Then drop two side 2x4's to the bottom. there you have a frame to place your door inside. After that it is just a matter of enclosing the open sides.

I modified your picture below.
'
First thing, I had to use paint as my other software would not work and I have not had caffeine yet.

the space in between the blue lines would be a 2 x 6

the green lines would be 2 x 4's

the orange squiggles would be space that needed enclosed with plywood or such.

the space in between the green lines is where your door would go.

 

[Percheron chick]

Hi! I am trying to work with what I have and what I have is this approximately 8 ft x 7 ft plastic calf hutch, and the pipe frame from 1 and a half garages in a box. One and a half bc some of the pies from one of them got bent.

View attachment 3058957

I had one of those Costco garages. It got picked up in a wind storm and bent a few legs and supports. I had some scrap PVC lying around so I cut the pipe (probably 1 1/4") down to replace the damaged pieces. They slid right into the fittings. I had rolls of free 4' chain link so all the legs were cut down to 4'. Wrapped the run with the chain link then used field fence to cover the top. Holes we're too big for snow to build up on it but in the summer would put up bird netting to keep out the magpie.
Is the calf hut worth more as a calf hut then a chicken coop? Sell it and start again. If you build a solid predator proof partially covered run, you can pass on putting a door on the coop. Strip curtains would work and light inside would be great.

 

[Lor]

I had never seen a calf hutch before so looked them up. Saw this video. Maybe it can be used for ideas on how to put on a door.

 

[mistyseptember]

You are all awesome!!!!! Thank you!!!


aart:

• Safe, secure and functional are 100% more important than cute for sure! However, pretty much everything in my life is kind of a hodge podge of making due and I'd like a splash of something "put together."
• A garage in a box or a car port in a box is a galvanized steel pipe frame that has a tarp like cover. We had two. The tarps are gone. But the frames remain.
• I updated my location, THANKS!
• The advice on how to attach to the plastic is exactly what I needed! Thanks!
• There is additional ventilation built into the back, but thank you for that I am going to educate myself more on that situation and maybe rethink it

wolfwalker:

• THANKS! This makes a lot of sense, I think I can do that myself. I just could not visualize what I needed.

Percheronchick:

• I could maybe sell it, but honestly my husband wouldn't want to then I would be out both a coop and the money. We have a dairy farm so he would claim it LOL

Lor

• I appreciate the video so much!

 

[SlightlyObsessed]

Hiya! I know this post is old but I'm very curious if you made this work? I actually have done this myself but never hear of anyone else doing it. Would love to see your finished setup if you did end up using the hutch.

 

[Piecingittogether]

Hiya! I know this post is old but I'm very curious if you made this work? I actually have done this myself but never hear of anyone else doing it. Would love to see your finished setup if you did end up using the hutch.

Would like to see your setup as well? I am planning on making one here soon, and any ideas would be great!
I am also considering connecting two hutches together- probably cutting the sides with the windows out and connecting together that way.