Movable Chicken Coop

[lcwmt]

This is the hoop run in its first incarnation.
4' wide x 10' long, tall enough to stand in. Pneumatic tires, light weight enough to move about, docked to the coop.
The "hoops" are irrigation pipe.
The whole thing was easy and inexpensive and manageable.

 

[WindingRoad]

Has anyone built a Movable Chicken coop? I see tons of DIY i would just like to know if anyone has built one successfully and can pass on some pictures and tips? We are going to have about 8 hens. We might build 2 small movable coops so it will be easier to care for them in the winter if i can move them closer to the house. Thank You!

I have a small pre-fab ( BOOOOO HISSSSS) chicken house from TSC ( Tractor Supply Company). We moved it earlier this fall. What the carpenter I use for house projects did was take 2 long 2x4's and nailed them to the frame. He kept about 4 feet out on each end. And then he and his partner just picked it up and carried it to where it is now. Right outside my back door. It was about 75 feet from the house and just to far for me to go out there so often, let alone snow blowing a path there. So that's one way to move a hen house. As I said it's small. I only had 2 chickens at the time. I have 4 now and I know it's a little tight downstairs. The coop itself is ok size wise as the chickens can huddle and keep warm. Has 3 nest boxes for 4 chickens. I'm thinking of getting another one just like it and cobbling them together.

 

[RWBP]

I use a 8'x8' cattle panel hoop coop. I'm 6'1" and I can stand in it, barely. I can move it easily by myself.

4 - 2x4
12 - 2x2
2 - cattle panels
1 - roll of chicken wire
Plus hardware, nails, staples, branches for roosts, etc.....

I have about $250 in it to build. Maybe $300 .

 

[RWBP]

Here's a link to my coop.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-cattle-panel-hoop-coop.74636/

 

[WindingRoad]

Here's a link to my coop.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-cattle-panel-hoop-coop.74636/

Predator proof?

 

[RWBP]

We have very low pressure here. No problems yet, but the biggest threat I've seen is loose neighbor dogs. Two have already been carted off by animal control. (Got "one of those" neighbors next door)

I built one years back, where there was much, much more pressure and I added 2x4 welded wire fencing to reinforce the chicken wire. I also left skirts of about two feet of extra chicken wire around the base to prevent digging. Didn't have any issues raising chicks to pullets in there.

 

[WindingRoad]

We have very low pressure here. No problems yet, but the biggest threat I've seen is loose neighbor dogs. Two have already been carted off by animal control. (Got "one of those" neighbors next door)

I built one years back, where there was much, much more pressure and I added 2x4 welded wire fencing to reinforce the chicken wire. I also left skirts of about two feet of extra chicken wire around the base to prevent digging. Didn't have any issues raising chicks to pullets in there.

Sounds pretty good. I've had no problems either I don't have any real deterrents. Nice thing about the winter is that the house is frozen into the ground and banked with very hard snow as we've had rain on top of snow. I put a clear tarp with white "faux" mesh in it around the run to keep warm and the wind out. Just painted grid. I know I have skunks around. And I saw a coyote but she was lame. And looked terribly thin. Probably dead by now. No issue with neighbors dogs. One fenced in large area and the other I chased off and he was scared. I'm not afraid of dogs and I challenged this dog by advancing on him every time he made a noise. He ran home with his tail between his legs. Probably fence in large free range area. And then add electric fence around that.

 

[MandaRae]

Maybe tomorrow or over the weekend... house guests and a very predatory dog here right now. Lots to keep track of.
But imagine this: a coop (even a pre-fab) that is stationary. The run is a hoop structure, on wheels, can be moved about, then brought back to the coop at night, chickens locked in the coop.

Don't know your frame of reference but a few folks use the words "coop" and "run" interchangeably.

Thanks for being patient with me, I'll get photos for you when I can.

I like this idea too then I can keep the coop closer to the house but still move them around the yard

 

[MandaRae]

We have very low pressure here. No problems yet, but the biggest threat I've seen is loose neighbor dogs. Two have already been carted off by animal control. (Got "one of those" neighbors next door)

I built one years back, where there was much, much more pressure and I added 2x4 welded wire fencing to reinforce the chicken wire. I also left skirts of about two feet of extra chicken wire around the base to prevent digging. Didn't have any issues raising chicks to pullets in there.

I like this but Now that I'm looking at it more I'm not sure it work for us. i know we have Fox around here and it gets really really windy.

 

[RWBP]

I used to live in CO and I built one of these almost exactly the same out there. I only had the chicks in there until about 12 weeks or so, but I never had any problems with predators. It gets very windy in CO and there are a lot more predators than where I'm at now, S. Appalachian mountains. Wind blowing off the tarps would be my concern in winter, but fasten them down well, and maybe add a few weights of some sort, (cinder blocks, hay bales, etc..) to loose flaps and it should be fine, imo.