- Jul 17, 2012
- 17
- 0
- 22
So, I've been on an interesting journey for the past year or so and it has taken me to wanting to have chickens for my own awesomely-delishious eggs.
Seeing some of the pallet coops, I thought it would be a great idea to save money, and live a life where I make use of what I have and what I can find. Sourcing some friends, I was able to get a fair amount of pallets and even some shingles. I ended up having to buy screws, nails, hinges (found most of the hinges on old doors), wire and the shade I have covering the run.
I live in Phoenix, minor threat of predators here, cats would be pretty much it where I'm at, and we have a dog with his scent all over the yard, I've seen plenty of cats in other people's yards and hanging out down the road, but never once any near our back yard where it smells like our dog.
There is a lot of light noise in the pictures due to where the sun is.
The side that has the double wall has no openings on that side due to where the majority of the sun will come from, but it is very nice inside relative to outside temperature. I've spent quite a bit inside trying to get everything working. I did put up thermometers inside and outside so I can keep an eye on things.
I made obviously a hinged section to get eggs and also made an entire wall hinge so i could go inside and clean etc.
I've never built anything really, and mostly used hand tools (as if it wasn't obvious). By the end of it I have learned how to use a square, how to "toenail", how to use a circular saw and the old "measure twice, cut once". At the start, all of that was sketchy at best... You don't even want me to break down some of the flaws in my design/build heh.
The pictures make the shade covering the run look particularly messy, but it is very secure and looks good - also it is considerably cooler underneath there.
Inside the coop I made a shelf with and put foil baking pans filled with sand underneath some brackets that have the curved piece for coat hangars, I bent that a bit and put some repurposed bamboo for them to roost on.
It will still be a few weeks before we get chickens, and despite me wanting to get 3+ month old pullets, the wife wants to get chicks because "they go peep peep peep and are so fluffy".
Seeing some of the pallet coops, I thought it would be a great idea to save money, and live a life where I make use of what I have and what I can find. Sourcing some friends, I was able to get a fair amount of pallets and even some shingles. I ended up having to buy screws, nails, hinges (found most of the hinges on old doors), wire and the shade I have covering the run.
I live in Phoenix, minor threat of predators here, cats would be pretty much it where I'm at, and we have a dog with his scent all over the yard, I've seen plenty of cats in other people's yards and hanging out down the road, but never once any near our back yard where it smells like our dog.
There is a lot of light noise in the pictures due to where the sun is.
The side that has the double wall has no openings on that side due to where the majority of the sun will come from, but it is very nice inside relative to outside temperature. I've spent quite a bit inside trying to get everything working. I did put up thermometers inside and outside so I can keep an eye on things.
I made obviously a hinged section to get eggs and also made an entire wall hinge so i could go inside and clean etc.
I've never built anything really, and mostly used hand tools (as if it wasn't obvious). By the end of it I have learned how to use a square, how to "toenail", how to use a circular saw and the old "measure twice, cut once". At the start, all of that was sketchy at best... You don't even want me to break down some of the flaws in my design/build heh.
The pictures make the shade covering the run look particularly messy, but it is very secure and looks good - also it is considerably cooler underneath there.
Inside the coop I made a shelf with and put foil baking pans filled with sand underneath some brackets that have the curved piece for coat hangars, I bent that a bit and put some repurposed bamboo for them to roost on.
It will still be a few weeks before we get chickens, and despite me wanting to get 3+ month old pullets, the wife wants to get chicks because "they go peep peep peep and are so fluffy".
Duh. Should have considered that. I thought you were waiting to take a week off so you could enjoy them 
