I think I'm done building...at least until we move out of the city and have more space 
. We started out with a raised coop from craigslist with plans to build a detachable run and to move it every week or two. We built the run, did this all summer long, and we realized that the coop is too heavy, chickens tear things up way faster than we expected, and it just doesn't work. So we made new plans to park the coop and build a tractor. This week (on top of building a garden shed for us), I dug out a trench and made a cinder-block foundation to park it on (left it a bit raised so I won't hit the wood with my weed-eater), built a sand box for under the roost inside the coop, built a door for the end of the run with a shelf for their treadle feeder and attached grit and oyster shell tubes, finally parked the thing, and put together an 8' x 4' tractor out of a couple 2x4s and pvc. We attached a water jug with a nipple inside the door so they can stay hydrated while foraging. I'm sure I'll catch some flack for using chicken wire on everything, and I considered hardware wire but I have a few neighbors with chickens and I scoped out their set-ups, asked lots of questions, and we're in such an urban area none of them have had issues with anything busting through their chicken wire in the years they've had them, so I decided the extra expense wasn't worth it. Here are some pics!
Sand box w/linoleum base..but no sand yet.
Coop and run....we originally built the run on grass, so putting it on the level cinderblocks not everything matches up anymore, but the gaps are small enough I can't get a finger in, so no worries.
Another view
The reason for all this....chilling in the shade and eating my hostas while I work my tail off.
They were very afraid of the sawdust we lined the run with...they've only ever been on grass!
Door tilted out for easy filling and cleaning of food, oyster shell, and grit tubes
Indoor view, I'm thinking of trying to grow some grass out of the holes in the cinderblocks, though I'm sure it won't last and they'll just end up full of poop and dirt.
The tractor...picked up some clearance fabric (sealed it with Camp Dry) for the cover, the lady at the fabric shop was horrified that I would use something so nice for chickens..but I figure if I have to look at it, I might as well use something nicer than a tarp.
They love it!
. We started out with a raised coop from craigslist with plans to build a detachable run and to move it every week or two. We built the run, did this all summer long, and we realized that the coop is too heavy, chickens tear things up way faster than we expected, and it just doesn't work. So we made new plans to park the coop and build a tractor. This week (on top of building a garden shed for us), I dug out a trench and made a cinder-block foundation to park it on (left it a bit raised so I won't hit the wood with my weed-eater), built a sand box for under the roost inside the coop, built a door for the end of the run with a shelf for their treadle feeder and attached grit and oyster shell tubes, finally parked the thing, and put together an 8' x 4' tractor out of a couple 2x4s and pvc. We attached a water jug with a nipple inside the door so they can stay hydrated while foraging. I'm sure I'll catch some flack for using chicken wire on everything, and I considered hardware wire but I have a few neighbors with chickens and I scoped out their set-ups, asked lots of questions, and we're in such an urban area none of them have had issues with anything busting through their chicken wire in the years they've had them, so I decided the extra expense wasn't worth it. Here are some pics!Sand box w/linoleum base..but no sand yet.
Coop and run....we originally built the run on grass, so putting it on the level cinderblocks not everything matches up anymore, but the gaps are small enough I can't get a finger in, so no worries.
Another view
The reason for all this....chilling in the shade and eating my hostas while I work my tail off.
They were very afraid of the sawdust we lined the run with...they've only ever been on grass!
Door tilted out for easy filling and cleaning of food, oyster shell, and grit tubes
Indoor view, I'm thinking of trying to grow some grass out of the holes in the cinderblocks, though I'm sure it won't last and they'll just end up full of poop and dirt.
The tractor...picked up some clearance fabric (sealed it with Camp Dry) for the cover, the lady at the fabric shop was horrified that I would use something so nice for chickens..but I figure if I have to look at it, I might as well use something nicer than a tarp.
They love it!
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