Chicken Coop Construction for the Poor and Unhandy

[Yanna]

White Elk,

Thanks for the great photos. Your birds look pretty happy with the arrangement!

 

[Yanna]

Quote:
Yep, not everyone can just saunter into the hardware store and buy tools and lumber. Making the best of what you have is an art form all by itself.

Do you have any pics of your coop?

 

[freshegg]

well here are pics of are progress from trailer to coop. I still have to put nest boxes in and windows. I just got enough done to get the smelly turkeys out of my house. They used it for 2 weeks now they just go under it so I guess I can move it add a run and get more chickens any time

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IMG]http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm151/freshegg/coop004.jpg[/IMG]

I guess I only have this pic that shows half of it done (well enough for baby turkeys. Thats my friendly pit hes 12 and loves all animals and would never hurt any animal and hes been around alot of them. I need to still do work to make it pretty at some point

 

[Yanna]

What an awesomely creative use for a trailer!

(We have a pitbull, too, but he chases anything small that runs.)

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I was one of those that wanted a real pretty coop. However the funds and the money weren't their. Except for some paint, nails and wire, both of my coops and runs were recycled materials.

I wanted this little cute playhouse coop. However as my Black sexies grew bigger and bigger I knew the would never fit in there.

It has since been modified for my quail. It is in the expansion process now.

This is my main coop. It currently houses 14 birds and is 8X8.

I still need to put the windows in (there is wire over the windows.) We are also installing an automatic door when it finally gets delivered. Everything is on back order.

This is what the inside looked like originally.

Notice the sky light for extra lighting. There is no elec out here so it helps come winters. The nest boxes have been moved to one side and the roosts now run from the back to the front 4 ft off the ground so we still have lots of floor space.

I think the both of them cost me about $200. Most of my materials came from Freecycle and craigslist.

 

[Yanna]

What an adorable quail coop!

The translucent roofing is a nice idea. How will you power your automatic door?

 

[CoyoteMagic]

The doors are battery powered. I understand that several people on this board have them and just love them.

 

[White Elk]

Nice coops freshegg and CoyoteMagic!
It's nice to see good ole fashion, making do with what you got, country craftsmanship!



Quote:
Funny you should say that.... As I was working on it I got to daydreaming about building a Rabbit Room and Run onto my final plans for the Bird Condo. Hehe and I had visions of the rabbits running freely in our fenced in backyard. I've always wanted a pack of Angora Rabbits so I could sheer them in summer and make a sweater every fall.



Quote:
Your Welcome and thanks for enjoying them. The Chickens just got a little happier with it today!
Though the Ducks and the Dogs miss some prime shade, but the Cats happy cuz she can still get on the trampoline.

 

[White Elk]

One of my projects today was to set up a day pen for the Chickens. I used my Niece and Nephews Trampoline as a roof and wrapped chicken wire around it. Then I connected it to the night pen. I used some metal fence stakes, more chicken wire and the bailing wire it was packaged with. I also used those rubber coated wires for securing the "doors". Besides the Trampoline thats all the materials I used. Tools were just a heavy hammer and wire snips.

They looked like little gladiators running around the circliar pen jumping in out of the outer circle to make fun spirited attacks on each other. Sometimes running back to the night pen then back out again. I'm so glad to get this temp day pen done. The Ducks have had day run of the entire backyard. But the Chickens have been cooped up for approaching a week now. Whohoooo but no more! Now they can really stretch their little legs and wings and start doing those things that chickens like to do. Next step.. the permanent night pen and then a transistion into total daylight freedom!

View from inside new run, just outside night pen door...

... I push the wire section from the front side of the corridor back into the corridor as I push it to the chick door and secure it. So no escapees during lockdown! And its mello for the chickens. I push that piece back into the corridor corner and out of the way, then lift the roof and set it back so its easier to get to the food and water. The other side of the corridor wall also detaches (but from the night pen side) so I can close the chickens in the day pen for night pen cleaning etc. And the front corridor wall can function as a wall to make a mini-enclosure just outside their night pen. That way I got options; and if the chickens cooperate, I can have a clear path between the pen and the trampoline in under a minute.



All tucked in and tuckered out...

 

[ams3651]

Quote:
what a great idea! and someone just had one free in the paper