FREE Pallet Serama Pens-Project Diary

[tinychicky]

Well I've finally done it. Started my serama pens. I set myself the challenge of building funtional, frugal, and hopefully totally free pens and I intended to follow through. Yesterday was my first opportunity to do so. I cleaned the barn and went through everything, throwing out what we could live without, an left an empty half of the barn for my pens. I thought I'd log my progress and thoughts and mistakes here.

Day 1-

Money Spent: A little on gas when I went to pick up the pallets (like a mile away at the grain store) but other than that $0.00

Hours Spent on Project: 7

Materials:
-2 Pallets (4' X 3' 4'')
- A 2X4 board
-Two peices of 12 ft. strapping
-Chicken wire scraps and part of a whole roll I found while cleaning the barn
-Misc. nails, screws and hinges from the jar on the workbench

Tools:
-Hammer
-Screwdriver
-Saw
-A couple bricks and cement blocks to hold/prop up stuff
-Power Drill

Steps:
-Started pen #1 by putting up the 2X4 as a support.
-Thought about doing step by step photos, decided I was too lazy.
-Started to put the first pallet side wall, discovered my barn was built by crazy people who don't know how to make rafters perpendicular to the floor, muttered profanity under my breath for a few minutes, then tore it all down.
-Wedged another board under the 2X4 and nailed it in.
-Nails fell out....found longer nails...tore it down and tried screws...
-Put up side wall again.
-Discovered that building doesn't take a whole lot of brain power. Mind wandered...
- Put hinges on doors. Of course, the electric screwdriver stripped the inside of all the screws so I can't get them further in or out. No idea what I'm gonna do about that.
-Put a couple more supports
-Stapled chicken wire...ran out of staples... decided I was done for the day.
-Photographed pen:










Still gotta fill in these gaps to the loft with hardware cloth...


This is the 4X8' grow out pen. I may also use it as an extra broody pen if my usual one is being used. It will likely have a couple resident silkies so I won't be tempted to fill it if it's empty for too long lol. I'll also have three or four smaller pens as well to house serama pairs or trios and my one D'anvers pair.

 

[afveteran88]

Looks very nice. I hope it works out for you.

 

[tinychicky]

Day 2-

Money Spent: $2.96 for a new box of staples for the staple gun.
Hours Spent on Project: About 3
Materials:
-staples
- Chicken wire scraps and part of a whole roll I found while cleaning the barn
-Misc. nails, screws, etc. from the jar on the workbench

Tools:
-Hammer
-Screwdriver
-Saw
-A couple bricks and cement blocks to hold/prop up stuff
-Power Drill
-Staple gun

Steps:
-Put up nest boxes. They're actually shelves I found on the local dump table and, being me, thought "Hey, those would make great nest boxes!" there are nine holes for nests which is way more than two silkies and some growers will need but whatever
-Put up roosts, one low for the silkies and one high.
-Screwed the bolt and handle onto the door...learned it's very hard to line up the bolt right.
-Nailed extra lattice piece from building the deck over the door and covered it all with chicken wire.
-A few finishing touches...
-...and shavings, feed, water and chickens were added!

Once my other pens are built the seramas and the d'anvers will move to thier new quarters. Once I start hatching (soon!) the chicks can live with the two silkies. Both have proven they're adopt new chicks already and I firmly believe chickens grow up stronger and healthier when raised by a hen.

I'll start on the next pen tomorrow!




I decided to just make the door half sized. I'll have to duck get in, what that's okay.


Please excuse the random modern game lol! Idk where she's going. She might stay with the silkies...

 

[Bullitt]

They will have lots of natural light with that big window right next to them. Hopefully that will keep them productive.

I like how you made a gate using part of a pallet.

People build whole workshops and even houses out of pallets. There are people always giving pallets away, and they are made of sturdy wood. You can't beat free.

 

[suezqz_64]

Wow, great job. I'm always amazed at what one can make out of nothing. It takes a lot of imagination. I'm sure iyour girls appreciate it.

One thing I noticed, your silkie looks to be directly under the other birds, although I'm sure it's just the angle of the picture. Didn't want to see her get pooed on all night long.

 

[vclark321]

Nice job! The pictures are great! I have pallets and access to many more. I want another coop, but I want to use the pallets. You have inspired me! Thank you!

 

[Dead Rabbit]

stripped screw heads--cut off screw heads with a grinder or type of DREMEL cut off tool. brand doesnt matter. move hinge slightly up or down. just far enuff to make new screw holes but close enuff so hinge still covers the mistake. no one will ever know but you.

installing--drill hole w/ drill and bit first. using a smaller bit than th diameter of screw. then install screw. make sure the driver bit isnt worn on end or it will continue to skip/miss and mess up screw head again.

 

[tinychicky]

Thanks, Dead Rabbit! I'll definatly try that

suezqz, yeah I noticed too lol! I'll see what can do about that. I need a low nest box or two also. Not that my silkies care if they roost and lay on the ground

Actually this morning I noticed the partridge had wedged herself between a chicken wire wall and the board I put in front to block it off. I thought she was stuck but as soon as I took her out she went right back and a few minutes later laid an egg!

Bullitt, that's my hope! In the summer I'll cover the outside with 1/4 inch hardware cloth and open open up the window for added ventilation.

vclark, pallets are great! Pretty easy to work with, big enough not to need a lot of them, easy to find if you know where to look...the one downside is that they are kind of heavy. It makes for a solid structure, but it takes some upper body strength too. It's good to have a helper when you're working with a lot of them

 

[tinychicky]

Hours worked: 0
'nuff said