looking for pvc plans for large chicken coop

[codybird]

PVC conduit is gray and UV protected and is made for exterior use. I used 3/4". Regular white PVC fittings work on it also. The 8' x 4' x 2.5' rectangle in the picture weighs about ten pounds. That is with plastic fencing zip tied on it. The beauty of Todd's design is that you can use 30 cent fittings from Lowes and don't need to get expensive fittings off the internet. It is not predator proof, but mine get locked up at night.

Toddslittleacre,

Great idea. used your ideas on my "alien tractor found at Area 51" thread. Thanks

 

[toddslittleacre]

Hi Socks, The pipe is electrical pvc conduit, sunlight resistant, uses same fittings as regular pvc, and is also a few cents cheaper. You could use hardware cloth but it would probably be a bit stiff to work with. After completing, I found 100' x 12' roll of poultry netting that would have been lighter and easier to install for about what I spent for chicken wire.
I'm not sure it would hold up under snow. The rake of the sides is steep enough for anything to roll off. It bends very easily, you could probably strengthen it by adding more pipe for reinforcement.
No problem yet with predators, we have the coop and run inside a 50'x25' outer fence inside our fenced back yard with 4 dogs, that run off any predators, so far. As far a being cheap, it wasn't.
My wife and I moved it today with ease. We spun the whole thing around to new grass and will do so again as the grass recovers on the opposite end of the outer run. Steve

 

[PrinceSandwich]

May I ask how much you paid for the pvc run? I'm interested in building some sort of run/coop but don't have much money to use on it.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I don't remember how much it cost after I got the fittings online and bought the wire and tarp and zip-ties, but here is a picture of the one I built last summer from the pvcplans. com site. It works great as long as you glue the fittings and pipes together, which I did not. I am having to put it back together in couple of spots after I move it, but it is not a big deal. I live in windy Minnesota on the prairie, so I hold mine down using the corkscrew stakes that are sold for tying a dog to. They go in and come out easy and hold very well. The I strap the pen down using bungees. I hook the bungees and stake them for the tarp too. It holds up very well if you attach everything properly. I wish I had made an access door though so I can free range the birds easier. I still can, but I haven't gotten to it since I have been building other coops and tractors and so forth.

 

[jnareed]

There was this one....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=22688-kycklingars-4x10-tractor

Don't know if that was big enough for what you are wanting or not.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=57575

This is Suzegg's and it is AWESOME. totally walk in coop you could put a short hinged roof coop or two inside or just tarp and shadecloth it like suzegg did for protection.

Weighing it down - seal up all holes in the bottom 3" poles and make a drain on one end and a plug somewhere else on top so you can add water to the bottom foundation and weighing it so it doesn't blow away (also stake it down between moves) - and will make it harder for something to tip it over - also add a skirt to the bottom of it to deter digging critters.

I would definately do something like this if I didn't free range as much as I do. We are actually planing to do something similar to this to make a gazebo type thing so we can have continous shade in our favorite part of the yard

 

[sewmama]

hi there; go to pvcplans.com thats where I found my free download they have a small or large pvc
portable chicken coop with wheels