Chick-N-Hutch Take Two

[rudimyers]

After having a hawk grab one of our pullets, my husband built an 8'X8' and 4' tall wood frame with chicken wire around it (except on the bottom).

The Chick-N-Hutch is moveable with the two of us.

As the next step, my husband is going to reinforce the cage/frame with more wood and put a small door in one side. Then, he is going to build a plywood box (missing one side) that can "chute" the chickens from the coop to their frame (does that make sense?). The box/chute will be completely unattached so I can move it out of the way when I need to clean the coop (which seems to be about every other day right now - or am I cleaning it too much?).

I am reading plans and looking at plans for a better coop/run idea.

Thank you to everyone who has responded to my previous two posts.

 

[OkChickens]

The coop looks great! The run might need to be "beefed up" to be predator proof. Other than that a great Design!

-Nate

 

[BooBear]

If you are using it like a tractor you can get some wheels to add to it.
Then it would only take one person to move it about. Ofcourse it may still take both of you to move the run part.

 

[rudimyers]

Maybe it would be possible to add wheels to the run itself, pick it up on one end, and then roll it? Is it possible to retrofit the Chick-N-Hutch we bought and put wheels on it??

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
I'd put skids on the bottom of it. Sliding will work better in most circumstances. Wheels may clog up with debris.

You may also want to put some kind of roof over the Hutch. It's not a very heavy wood and the rain will do it in pretty quickly.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have the same setup for my silkies, only I have them in a 6 x 10 dog kennel with netting overhead. I move everything by hand by myself. I use pine shavings on the bottom- and I have to change them out about once every week, to week and 1/2.

I have a CANVAS tarp 4 x 6 over my hutch, so that the breezy sides don't freeze my girls. I have one of the sides covered with plexiglass and took one of the plywood pieces to cover the front. So they have full wind protection. I take the tarp off the front of the coop and bungee cord it to the dog kennel to make a covered porch- they exit out the little rectangle in front since I remove the front plywood during the day.

I have an igloo doghouse with the bottom removed to place over their feed bowl in the run. They can get out of the wind and rain too that way.

Nice setup!