My NEW Breeding Pens

[DMRippy]

Here are the feeders we made have a look

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/618994/my-1-feeders#post_8227105

 

[DMRippy]

The dimensions of the coop and run were requested so I will make an educated guess.... The coops are the size of the pallets we used... about 47 x 38 some odd size. The run is about 10ft long. That is what size the 3 x 3 boards are that we used from another pallet. If you include the space UNDER the Coop as their run it is about 13+ feet long and 4ftish wide. Make your runs as long as you can that is just what worked for us. It looks crowded with 5 big birds like Marans so I don't have as many in the pens. I had 8 in one pen with no issues but that was temporary.

So if I were to measure from the first pen to the last it would be just shy of 40 ft and from the back to the front would be just over 13 ft.

And I will tell you this... I have yet to find an egg in any other nest box than the one next to the run. IDK why? Every girl in every pen is laying in the same nest box. It is ironic ... I can't really see in that nest box.

 

[Shayna]

I really like your pallet breeder pens!! I'd love to make something similar this summer. My husband and I aren't exactly builders, but we managed to build my existing run and it's still standing. lol Anyway, my question is, do you have any sort of plan that you used to build the pallet pens? It would be wonderful if you had anything you could share! I'm afraid we're not experienced enough in building to wing it off of pictures.

 

[DMRippy]

I really don't, sorry.... we did just wing it.... might come to regret that.. but so far it is doing ok.

We have had some leaks we have had to repair, over and over again. One pen was leaking pretty bad so we took that roof off and added two layers of plastic and then put the roof back. We had a friend come back and do some bobcat work to build a little burm to keep the rain runoff from the hills from flooding three of the runs

Now I really have to work on keeping the feed in the feeders.... some are still using feed as litter....

 

[Shayna]

I really don't, sorry.... we did just wing it.... might come to regret that.. but so far it is doing ok.

We have had some leaks we have had to repair, over and over again. One pen was leaking pretty bad so we took that roof off and added two layers of plastic and then put the roof back. We had a friend come back and do some bobcat work to build a little burm to keep the rain runoff from the hills from flooding three of the runs

Now I really have to work on keeping the feed in the feeders.... some are still using feed as litter....

Thanks for the info, that's good to know. I have some leftover metal panels from our run roof that I probably could use. I really think we'll give the pallet thing a try. It really looks good and with recycled materials makes it even better! Now tell me truthfully, how hard is it to rip apart all those pallets??

 

[Flyboy718]

Wow!

 

[DMRippy]

Thanks for the info, that's good to know. I have some leftover metal panels from our run roof that I probably could use. I really think we'll give the pallet thing a try. It really looks good and with recycled materials makes it even better! Now tell me truthfully, how hard is it to rip apart all those pallets??

I think my elbows still hurt from that. We used a sledge hammer and broke them free from the underside. Most of the nails stayed in the 4 x4 that held them together. We did split a few but not more than a pallet or two worth

I did what I had to do, but if I had all the money in the world I would buy everything.... heck... I would pay to have them built.... maybe out of pallets

that would cost too much!

 

[tinychicky]

these are so cool! you've inspired me! i'm hopefully going to pick up some pallets this week for my new serama breeder coops along the east wall in the barn. i'm thinking the walls will be whole pallets covered with chicken wire with removable boards over that. in the winter i'll put on the boards and maybe stuff most of the pallet with hay or straw for added insulation so the birds can winter over in outside. you're the expert, though, do you think that will that work?

 

[DMRippy]

these are so cool! you've inspired me! i'm hopefully going to pick up some pallets this week for my new serama breeder coops along the east wall in the barn. i'm thinking the walls will be whole pallets covered with chicken wire with removable boards over that. in the winter i'll put on the boards and maybe stuff most of the pallet with hay or straw for added insulation so the birds can winter over in outside. you're the expert, though, do you think that will that work?

This is my first winter with chickens.... I know nothing!!!!! I just build them and they will lay.....

 

[LaynaDon95]

Ok, those look awesome and I love the idea of using pallets! We built our chicken tractors out of pallets but it was a pain in the neck to tear them apart! How did you do it? (You may have said before, but I really would rather not wade through 11 pages to see.) Would you mind sharing? If you had a faster way I would love you forever. I used a crowbar at first. NEVER AGAIN! Now I'm using a sawzall. It's faster but not ideal.