My five chooks have a nice large coop and secure run, but we like to take them to our overgrown vegetable garden so they can play around and gorge themselves on veggies and bugs. However, it's about 200 feet, and the young rooster gets worried if I carry them one or two at a time... so, I needed a little wagon.
I've haunted garage sales and craigslist for two weeks to no avail, so I found four lawnmower wheels (7" diameter, $5.49 each) and built the rest from scrap materials. It took less than an hour and a half.
Here's the finished result:
The wheels had 1/2" holes, and I have lots of long pieces of 1/2" threaded rod, so I cut the rods to length for axles. I then cut an old piece of conduit to length for the shafts to hold the axles.
I put a washer on each side of the wheels, and two nuts tightened against each other on the outside to hold it all together.
I was going to use that roll of pipe hanger strap to hold the assembly to the frame, but then I found some better pipe hangers in my plumbing scrap drawer.
I framed it with two pieces of 2x3 and some 1/2" plywood. I wanted the front axle to pivot/steer, so I mounted that with a single through lag bolt. I had purchased a some 2x3's on sale for $1.49 each, and I used one of those, so we can add that to my cost, making my total out-of-pocket (including tax) $25.09.
One washer between the boards is sufficient, it pivots easily.
Here's the finished frame.
I angled the front corners of the frame so the pull ropes won't hang up. I don't need to make tight turns, since it is narrow and top heavy, but it turns enough to make smooth sweeping curves.
I used a tall, long narrow box. It's 14" x 36", lots of room for the chickens, but narrow enough that I can easily roll the whole thing into the coop and through the gate to the garden. If it was even a few inches wider it would be more difficult to use this way. I just stapled it to the frame with 5/8" construction staples.
I cut out windows, and used string to tie some plastic fencing scraps, so they can see out during their adventurous voyages. I put hay in the bottom to cushion their ride.
They love their trips to the garden, and they don't mind much when I collect them and put them in the wagon for the trip home, because they know they'll get to come out again.
Like passengers in a railroad car...
I've haunted garage sales and craigslist for two weeks to no avail, so I found four lawnmower wheels (7" diameter, $5.49 each) and built the rest from scrap materials. It took less than an hour and a half.
Here's the finished result:
The wheels had 1/2" holes, and I have lots of long pieces of 1/2" threaded rod, so I cut the rods to length for axles. I then cut an old piece of conduit to length for the shafts to hold the axles.
I put a washer on each side of the wheels, and two nuts tightened against each other on the outside to hold it all together.
I was going to use that roll of pipe hanger strap to hold the assembly to the frame, but then I found some better pipe hangers in my plumbing scrap drawer.
I framed it with two pieces of 2x3 and some 1/2" plywood. I wanted the front axle to pivot/steer, so I mounted that with a single through lag bolt. I had purchased a some 2x3's on sale for $1.49 each, and I used one of those, so we can add that to my cost, making my total out-of-pocket (including tax) $25.09.
One washer between the boards is sufficient, it pivots easily.
Here's the finished frame.
I angled the front corners of the frame so the pull ropes won't hang up. I don't need to make tight turns, since it is narrow and top heavy, but it turns enough to make smooth sweeping curves.
I used a tall, long narrow box. It's 14" x 36", lots of room for the chickens, but narrow enough that I can easily roll the whole thing into the coop and through the gate to the garden. If it was even a few inches wider it would be more difficult to use this way. I just stapled it to the frame with 5/8" construction staples.
I cut out windows, and used string to tie some plastic fencing scraps, so they can see out during their adventurous voyages. I put hay in the bottom to cushion their ride.
They love their trips to the garden, and they don't mind much when I collect them and put them in the wagon for the trip home, because they know they'll get to come out again.
Like passengers in a railroad car...
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