mini-van coop & tractor

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Hi folks. I'm about to begin a rather creative enterprise and thought I'd ask for your thoughts and ideas.

I have a 17 year old mini-van that has been sitting in the meadow by our home for over a year. It is ugly and beat up, but it still runs fine (may need a new battery).

I want to turn the back end (about 4'X8') into a mobile chicken coop and then build a large chicken tractor/run that can attach to the trailer hitch on the back of the mini-van. I'm hoping I can design something where I can open the back hatch of the mini-van in the morning to let the chickens out into the tractor and close them in again at night (since we have a pretty significant number of predatory animals here in the Colorado mountains). Hopefully, it should be pretty easy to move the tractor every day or two before letting the chickens out by simply starting up the van and driving it to the next location. I'll be using it this summer to raise my first meat chickens, but if it works well, I might add to my dual/purpose layer flock next year.

Has anyone tried anything like this? Could you share your ideas and suggestions?

 

[TheRookie]

Can't offer any insight but please do make a detailed thread about how you do it with pics. Hope it goes well for you

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Thanks, there was this really cute stationary coop someone made out of a Volkswagen Van on Craigs list about 8 months ago. A friend sent me the link, but the photo is gone now. The clever person had the back space as a chicken coop and converted the front space (two front seats removed) into a greenhouse/potting shed. I'll need at least one of my front seats to drive the van when it is done.

I'll take lots of photos as I go.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Can't offer any insight but please do make a detailed thread about how you do it with pics. Hope it goes well for you

I started working on the tractor part of the project this weekend. I'll try to take plenty of photos and keep a materials list as I go.

Would still value input or suggestions if folks have any.

 

[Georgia1984]

I'm working on a similar project. My plans are to use harware cloth across the van right behind where the front seats were, with a little gate built in for me to let them in and out. That way, I can open the front door on the drivers side to check on everybody or get to my supllies without all the chickens running out. I'll have a little portable ramp to put up to let them in and out, since the door is a bit high for them. I'm planning on using the front passenger's side, in front of the hardware cloth, as storage for feed, bedding, and anything else that needs protection from elements and critters. I'm also going to hardware cloth over both front windows, and the vent windows on one side. Then I can raise or lower the glass as needed for ventilation, without anything getting in to them. The vent window on the other side I am planning on removing the glass and framing in the nesting boxes. The back hatch I'm not going to change, that way I can open it the whole way for easy access for cleaning.

All seats and carpeting will be stripped out, and a few drain holes drilled, that way when it's time to clean, I can hose it out if needed. My van doesn't run, so moving it won't be easy for me. One concern that I am having is keeping the ladies cool in the van, since there won't be much cross-breeze in the back where they are. I'm planning on wiring up a fan if it seems too stale in there.

I think (hoping!) it's going to work out well. I'm pretty concerned about predators, and I think the van will keep them pretty safe. I'll post some photos of the work in progress here soon. Any suggestions? And please keep us updated on how your project is going!

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Georgia1984,

A year or so ago someone sent me a link to a Craigs list add where someone had done sort of what you are doing, turning the front part of a non-functioning van into a potting shed/green-house, taking advantage of that big front window and the deep dashboard to get their seeds started in the spring. I think they removed the engine and used the space under the hood for storage of feed etc. That might work for you too.

As for the ventilation issue, perhaps instead of blocking one of the vent windows with the nesting boxes, you could build the nesting boxes in the front, accessible thorough the driver's side or passenger's side door, so that you could get a cross breeze through those back vent windows.

Have you decided how you are going to fasten the hardware cloth over the vent windows? I have some ideas, but would love to hear yours. One idea is to use that perforated metal that some folks use for radiator covers and such. I'm thinking that if I make a template out of cardboard and cut a piece of that perforated metal about 1/2" bigger on each side, I might be able to install it in the window opening the same way you would window glass, slipping it into the grove that the glass would slip into. It might need a few reinforcements so that something pressing on it from the outside wouldn't pop it inward, or perhaps a few screws around the outside, but that is going to be my first attempt unless you have a clever-er idea.

I'll probably use one of those big reflector things in the windshield on most days, because those big windshields let so much sunlight and heat into a car.

Please post pictures as you start your project!

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Oops

 

[dirtylittlefly]

Is this the van you saw on craigslist? This coop pretty much made me want to buy chickens. Lol. If I remember correctly it was only being sold for a bit over $2,000. Not bad for coop/greenhouse/shed/yard art. Lol.

http://www.kptv.com/story/15212225/portlander-turns-vw-bus-into-chicken-coop

The wording of the ad cracked me up as well:

So I can only assume if you opened this ad it was to make sense of two things that don’t make sense together… well, maybe they do.
I saved this old 1973 Vw bus from the scrapyard a few months back. At the same time we were looking into getting chickens & we were also in need of a lawn mower shed. Sprinkle in a little too much free time, some spare scrap wood & a bit of creativity & presto...