HELP! NEED A FAST TEMPORARY STRUCTURE!!

[kmatt87]

you wouldn't happen to have a truck bed topper would you? A basic camper shell? This could be put on the ground on a simple 2x4 frame, Nest boxes at the front window, made from storage tubs, or something similar, that you could easily put a screw through.....

If you don't have one maybe a friend does, or maybe you can find one cheap on craigs or in the paper....

no i don't.
i've thought about doing something like that but our space is limited and we are going to need to be able to take a coop down and apart 2 times a yr.
The pieces are going to need to be able to fit thru a standard size door frame...
Its going to be on one side of the yard in the summer/early fall and then we are moving it into our greenhouse for late fall/winter/spring.
Right now we're talking about just building a permanent one and canceling the order with that crooked company.

 

[karlamaria]

 

[lilybart123]

This is not ideal, but we had a small, used wading pool. Encircled it with wire fencing and hung the heat lamp from overhead stored garage crap. Worked OK, well, I would recommend a tighter/smaller openings wire, like 1/2" and not letting your cat into your garage........ they were in here for a week. One was murdered by cat.

 

[kmatt87]

This is not ideal, but we had a small, used wading pool. Encircled it with wire fencing and hung the heat lamp from overhead stored garage crap. Worked OK, well, I would recommend a tighter/smaller openings wire, like 1/2" and not letting your cat into your garage........ they were in here for a week. One was murdered by cat.

i have ours in a huge tub with poultry netting over the top. Its just that they have very little room and its looking like its going to be a couple wks till i get anything made for them.

this stupid company we ordered a coop from this royally pissing me off!!

 

[kmatt87]

this is interesting. I never would have thought of using one of those! Is that a rabbit bottle for a waterer? Does it work well?

 

[dennarahl]

I don't know if you have a garage space, but it's the only way some of my current setup would work safely...

In the picture below you'll see our three current chicken housing options. In the foreground is just a pvc rectangle that we use as a chicken run for them to play in, it's enclosed completely on top and 3 sides by plastic netting the fourth side the plastic netting is only attached half way, and then to close we use bungies to make it tight. The big white building on wheels is the meaty coop. At the time of the picture the meaty birds (not in the picture, all flighty) had no run, so we would poke them in the bum with a broom until they went out the chicken door into the little run. After it was secure, I'd drag it at their walking speed out to the grass. Then when it was time to go back in the coop, we'd put a piece of plywood to block the space under the coop and poke them in the bum with a broomstick through the netting until everyone was back in the coop. It was really easy and it only took about 5 minutes to do all by myself.

Also in the picture, in the garage is our brooder for the egg layers (in the pic). It's the house shaped white pvc structure. It's made of 6 pvc rectangles that have chicken wire zip tied to them. Then they were zip tied together in that shape. One of the bottom rectangle opens up as a door. There is netting that hangs down from the peak and drapes over the bottom on the triangle sides and is secured with bungie cords. I can drag the run right up to it, open the door a bit and the chickens go right in. The top drape and the excess "doorway" netting from the run make a barrier to keep the chickens contained and all I have to do is poke the stragglers with the broomstick handle. It's really easy and I don't have to worry about catching the ones who go crazy when you try to pick them up.

The downsides: the brooder and the run are definitely NOT predator proof when outside. With the garage closed, they're both fine. They're both small for fully grown birds (about 36 sq ft each), but they could do while you wait. The 23 birds in the pic currently range from 14-10 weeks and should be out in the coop with a week or two.

If you want some better pics, let me know, I can go out and take some tomorrow.

 

[UnclePeep]

Well, for fast and temporary housing, also consider a cheap dome tent. You can put it up quick, its got windows and a door and its rainproof.