Greenhouse Coop Conversion

[bruceha2000]

I think my chickens just decided your coop is better then theirs!

What they don't know won't hurt them. I don't let my chickens see any of the spiffy coops on BYC.

I really like the idea of having chickens share space with fruit trees.

Until the chickens start hanging out in the trees eating the apples!

Bruce

 

[suki'smom]

Very creative! Way to use scavanged materials! I am impressed

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

What they don't know won't hurt them. I don't let my chickens see any of the spiffy coops on BYC.


Until the chickens start hanging out in the trees eating the apples!

Bruce

The chickens LOVED the fruit this year. They helped Nelson thin the orchard and kept the bugs in check. I've never seen better fruit in that orchard, and it was hysterical watching the chickens working hard to get at things as they ripened. The biggest hit had to be the Brooks Prunes -- they'd hop around under that tree trying to reach the fruit. So cute! I thought maybe Nelson and the flock weren't going to share anything with me. I shouldn't have worried because I'm STILL (early December) working on making applesauce from the harvest.

We own a nursery and grow fruit trees, it is digging/shipping season now (again, early December) so I plan to expand the orchard and the run ... just another way we can utilize our set of resources. I'm going to try to trade with a friend who has gathered specialty fruits from around the world and cultivated them to grow in our zone, he has some things I've never heard of!

 

[ComfortChickens]

Such a great idea! Very inspiring! Thank you for sharing your work with us!

 

[Nelson-90]

this is the new addition to our coop a nice shed i will be posting more pictures soon my camera ran out of batteries

 

[3riverschick]

Thanks!!!

Using a greenhouse frame for a coop/yard. Very cool!
Karen

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Using a greenhouse frame for a coop/yard. Very cool!
 Karen

I think it works for us because the spot we put it in is very protected by the big evergreen tree to the west, and the coop gets plenty of shade in summer -- and because we tend to have very dry summers. If we had to close the sides when the sun was out or on warm days it could get hot in there. I love how having the walls be hardware cloth allows for lots of ventilation, and the frame is sturdy enough to hang feed and water. Equally, it is snug in there when we put down the sides. The deep litter and greenhouse plastic add some warmth in winter.

Using those frames sure eliminated a lot of the work of "building" a largish coop.

 

[aart]

I see abandoned, or seemingly so, greenhouse frames all over the place....makes me drool.

Nice coop/orchard system!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wonderful!

 

[Free Feather]

I LOVE this!!!!

Do you intend to keep plastic on it all year? And, do you know if a building like a greenhouse needs to have building permits if it reaches a permit size, since they are made of pipe or whatever? I would not think they would, but it is good to know before hand.