PALLET COOP

[mpoland33]

So I've been working on my coop for a few months. Here is MD it's been on and off cold with a stretch of frozen solid. I wanted to share my progress...simply because when I started looking I appreciated the posts of designs that I got my inspiration from.Because of the weather,work, and kids, my time is limited so I imagine I'll be done in a month or so (including the run). Here are some progress pics.

I wanted/ vowed to use as much of my scraps, leftovers from other projects. This won't be the prettiest coop but I've taken pride in spending very little money so far. I am using a leftover 4x8 piece of plywood that was left here when we bought the house. That will be my coop size so I don't have to cut as much. I also started taking apart pallets. I just used a sawzall for ease

 

[mpoland33]

so after breaking down about 20 pallets, I started making my cuts. Because the standard pallet is 40" long, I basically needed to use 2 for the sides at 24" and 3 in the front (40,40,16 in the middle)

Because is was a high of 8 degrees the week I did this, I obviously stayed inside. Because I stayed inside I could only put portions of the walls together to fit it through the door to go outside when ready. I cut out a few doors and a few slide windows

 

[mpoland33]

I finally got a nice stretch outside last weekend so I enlisted my Dad's help and got the coop up...at least some of it. Because the sides needed to be pieced with 24" pieces, I didn't do them ahead of time. Same thing with the middle pieces on the front. I then decided to build some of the sides joining the 24" pieces together by a pallet support going straight up. I'll secure it from the inside later if needed.

I had to tarp it because the roof wasn't ready to go on and the rain's a coming.

 

[mpoland33]

so this weekend I was dodging the rain with little success...butttt the kids were napping so I had 2 hours...rain or shine...to get some work done.

First, the tarp didn't work...it pooled water on my roof so this week before it gets dark and before the next rain comes, I'll be throwing up a roof. I'm using PVC corrugated roofing....7.62 on clearance at Lowes (down from 30.50/ea). This has been the only thing I've had to buy so far.

The doors will be on the back...yes I know they are 2 different heights. I learned from my my mistake on the smaller one and when I realized it I made the next bigger. The coop backs to a farm so I don't really care what this side looks like. The back has a hole in that I have to frame a DIY window/opening later

I got the nest box up minus roof- community box with a slant- thanks to fellow posters ideas. The side with the nest box will have 2 windows/openings bigger than the slide windows...I'll get to that in a bit.

The front has a pop door and couple slide windows.

The other side needs more pallet boards. I ran out- had a lot of unusable boards. This side won't have windows because I'll be putting the roost over that side so didn't want to have too much of a draft.

Inside I'll be using tile flooring that I'll need to lay once things dry up. For the roost I'm using a set of deck stringer steps that the person before us left.

Next up is going to be mid week with the roof. Then I'll have to tarp it again-nest box especially for the next round of rain.

 

[Cryss]

so this weekend I was dodging the rain with little success...butttt the kids were napping so I had 2 hours...rain or shine...to get some work done.

First, the tarp didn't work...it pooled water on my roof so this week before it gets dark and before the next rain comes, I'll be throwing up a roof. I'm using PVC corrugated roofing....7.62 on clearance at Lowes (down from 30.50/ea). This has been the only thing I've had to buy so far.

The doors will be on the back...yes I know they are 2 different heights. I learned from my my mistake on the smaller one and when I realized it I made the next bigger. The coop backs to a farm so I don't really care what this side looks like. The back has a hole in that I have to frame a DIY window/opening later

I got the nest box up minus roof- community box with a slant- thanks to fellow posters ideas. The side with the nest box will have 2 windows/openings bigger than the slide windows...I'll get to that in a bit.

The front has a pop door and couple slide windows.

The other side needs more pallet boards. I ran out- had a lot of unusable boards. This side won't have windows because I'll be putting the roost over that side so didn't want to have too much of a draft.

Inside I'll be using tile flooring that I'll need to lay once things dry up. For the roost I'm using a set of deck stringer steps that the person before us left.

Next up is going to be mid week with the roof. Then I'll have to tarp it again-nest box especially for the next round of rain.

OH MY GOODNESS! Look at the faces in the middle 3 pics! Did you plan that?

 

[Dawnjanell]

That's gonna be a beautiful coop with lots of character.

OH MY GOODNESS! Look at the faces in the middle 3 pics! Did you plan that?

It looks like an owl in that one pic.

 

[jthornton]

I think a repurposed material coop is the best looking one.

JT

 

[mpoland33]

OH MY GOODNESS! Look at the faces in the middle 3 pics! Did you plan that?

haha no I definitely did not. But now that you say that I'm going to have to make sure that stands out when I paint it haha

 

[mpoland33]

That's gonna be a beautiful coop with lots of character.


It looks like an owl in that one pic.

Thanks! Yeah it does!

 

[Ruralhideaway]

That'll be so fun to paint to highlight it's owlness!

Very nice work I admire the patience. Pallets usually irritate me when I try. You conquered them!