Thanks for the nice compliments! The playhouse was a real quick and inexpensive build. I think I have less than $250 in the project (and that includes the hardware cloth).
MM - what a great Dad you are. Kids and chickens just go together like peanut butter and jelly. A couple of suggestions: First, these playhouses are surprisingly heavy and awkward to move around. I'd use the biggest wheels I could find (like on the new lawn mowers). Second, I'd set it up so the run is detachable. Moving two pieces would be easier than one very large unit. Third, add metal bracing to the corners on each side panel so it's solid and stable. You can see the bracing I used in this photo...
Screws are pretty solid in this plastic, but I'd use mollies anywhere there was going to be real stress put on them - like on the braces and a handle for moving it around.
Love the stories of others using these playhouses. I'd love to see the chicken village
You know, I just happen to have an old van that I've been nagging my DH to get rid of....hmmmm
Seriously, the playhouse is working out even better than I expected. The plastic and tile floor are super easy to clean (and, yes, bug resistant). The biggest benefit is that it doesn't look real "chicken coopy" so the crabby old bat that lives next door can't complain to the City about an eyesore. Temps are still cool here, but when it warms up I intend to swap out the shavings for sand so I can clean with a kitty litter scoop. In winter I'll go back to shavings.
The downside? These are small and limits the number of chickens I can have. That chicken village idea is looking better and better to me...
MM - what a great Dad you are. Kids and chickens just go together like peanut butter and jelly. A couple of suggestions: First, these playhouses are surprisingly heavy and awkward to move around. I'd use the biggest wheels I could find (like on the new lawn mowers). Second, I'd set it up so the run is detachable. Moving two pieces would be easier than one very large unit. Third, add metal bracing to the corners on each side panel so it's solid and stable. You can see the bracing I used in this photo...
Screws are pretty solid in this plastic, but I'd use mollies anywhere there was going to be real stress put on them - like on the braces and a handle for moving it around.
Love the stories of others using these playhouses. I'd love to see the chicken village
Seriously, the playhouse is working out even better than I expected. The plastic and tile floor are super easy to clean (and, yes, bug resistant). The biggest benefit is that it doesn't look real "chicken coopy" so the crabby old bat that lives next door can't complain to the City about an eyesore. Temps are still cool here, but when it warms up I intend to swap out the shavings for sand so I can clean with a kitty litter scoop. In winter I'll go back to shavings.
The downside? These are small and limits the number of chickens I can have. That chicken village idea is looking better and better to me...
