Dog Kennel coop

[bantamboy93]

could i hook a section of pipe into that 90 and put a stopper at the end and cut out the top and have it function the same way? That way it'd be a feed trough instead of just a hole?

 

[bantamboy93]

well, we got the bottom on today. Kinda doing it piece by piece. Should be able to wrap it up next saturday or get very close. still haven't gotten pictures. Basically right now all it is is a wooden support system bolted into the pipe and a 6'x3' (approximately) wire floor up off the ground. We've got the front panel assembled. (Actually the 1st wire bottom that i scrapped to get larger wire) Now we've just got to make gates to fit into the sections of the front panel. A center gate for me to reach in. A door that will swing upwards or downwards for the chickens to walk down onto a ladder. and a section to have the next boxes extending from.

 

[bantamboy93]

ALMOST DONE!!! And i still haven't taken any pictures.. lol. Maybe tomorrow. Ok.. So, when/if you see it, you will see that it's a 'rig' of sorts. It's sturdy and well built i think. Basically, we built the wire bottom, the roosts and the front panel (That has the chicken door, Me door, and hen nest boxes on it) out of wire and wood. The sides and the roof are made out of plastic. The roof is made out of some sort of plastic paneling my uncle had. It's super sturdy.. Almost like linoleum.. which isn't plastic.. but you get the general idea. We're gonna go back through and caulk all the seams up to make sure there is no leaking whatsoever. The sides and back are made out of drink advertisement boards.. chloroplast or something that sounds like that. Y'all know those Pepsi drink signs? the plastic cut outs that advertise deals on drinks? That's what we made the sides and back out of... Now i'm sure some of you are scratching/shaking your heads right now. But it works.. We nailed it on and cut it to shape. Quite sound. There's a few holes i'd like to fill in that were punched in them.. just little tiny holes. Other than that, it's fine.. Importantly, it was FREE. and LIGHT! Which is what the whole purpose of using that was. So that when we move it, it won't be so heavy. We got it almost done today. The last things to do are attach the hinged top door on the nest boxes that lifts up for me to reach in and gather eggs. Also i have to fix a latch for the ME door. Build the chicken ladder that goes to the ground and attach it somehow. Also, i have to find some little hook to hold the chicken 'pop' door open with. It swings upwards. But it's not a 'door' or a 'gate'.. It's a section of wire that we attached over a hole that we cut out of the wire with zipties.. So instead of building a wood-frame gate.. which would add to the weight. We just cut out about a 10" square hole and then made a door a little bit larger to lap over the hole and attached it with zip ties. It swings upwards perfectly. Now i just need a little hook to lock it open or lock it closed.. One of those little keychain locks or something. that you use to hook to your belt loop on your pants. Other than that, the last thing is the most priciest. the wire for the top. I'm thinking on 1x2 welded wire. We used just plain chicken wire for the top of our other chicken run and the dang coons chewed through it. I want welded wire for this one. Other than that, just a few little tweaks to do and i'll be able to put chickens in it. A couple spots of the kennel wire is a little loose.. Like it doesn't hug that pipe like i want it to. Figure on taking some zip ties or something and zipping it to the pipe.

So.. let me add up my expenses. $20 on 1/2"x1" wire for the bottom. $40 on 2x2x8's and (1) 1x2x8 (for the roosts). I'll have to buy the wire for the top.. yikes.. not looking forward to that.. I'm sure it's not cheap. $3 on bolts and knuts/washers to bolt the bottom and top into the pipes of the kennel.. The kennel, plastic, assorted plywood for nest boxes and 'roost stand' were all here already.. So.. A chicken coop for around $100, including the wire i'll have to buy..

 

[bantamboy93]

Got the latches and hinges on today! now the next box is fully operational. The door latches shut and the pop door is locked shut. Now, i have to go buy wire tomorrow. Priced it, $20. So. I've spent $80 on this coop.

 

[3forfree]

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[canesisters]

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You might want to consider making the door big enough for a wheel barrow to go through. I've seen several posts where people made a point of doing that so that cleaning would be such a chore.

 

[bantamboy93]

well, that's nigh impossible. I do wish my big coop had a wheelbarrow size door. I have to shovel the manure out of the coop into a bucket and then into the wheelbarrow. However, the point of building this coop is so that we can move it around from time to time and let the chickens fertilize the grass and my garden ground and such. So i wouldn't be shoveling anything out. I would just be moving the coop.

 

[bantamboy93]

chicken tractor coop is finished at last! I went and bought the wire today, and bought a pack of zip ties.. those things are NOT cheap!!! And ziptied the wire down to the top of the coop.. It doesn't look pretty... In fact, it's kinda bowed downward... Which is unfortunate.. But i am NOT redoing it. I also built my little ladder and leaned it up against the chicken coop and now my Fawn Duckwing OEG Rooster and my Silver Duckwing OEG hen are both enjoying some fresh grass. I'll get pictures later.

 

[bantamboy93]

http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee33/AaronMitch/Chicken Tractor/