Playhouse Coop - Need Suggestions

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Thanks! i will check out that site. Feeling better that i may be able to create a larger door. My big obstacle now is getting it from our driveway to our back yard. It's really heavy and not moving so great over the grass. Need to haul it about 100 feet. Arg!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

if you have some long poles, you can lay them down and roll over them, move them to a new position, roll again.

I didn't have poles and ended up using plywood. Layed down a sheet of plywood, slide onto it, put down another, slide, pick up the the first move to new postion, slide.

Slow and hard but works.

 

[Tonopah Pati]

I too am without a DH around, or some strong kids to hire. I am 71 years young, I am refurbishing a playhouse into a coop. and extending my pen, I love things like that . You have found a great coop.

I vote for the door to be on the back. I love the dutch double door idea. I have one on the playhouse/coop I found. The front door you could cut a door for the chickens that you could open and close. I would put the nest box on the outside, under the hinged windows , so that you could get the eggs from there. The little front porch is to cute. I would leave that. Keep us posted on what you do. I can't wait!

Good Luck I wish that I lived near you. I would come over and help you. Looks like such a fun project. You can let your imagination run wild.

 

[Sissy]

I bought a wheeler deal at a yard sale. for 7.oo
on 2 rubber tires and it has been my second pair of hands .
I slipp it under the load and off to the races,I go

sometimes I have a mishap but hey it does the job in the end.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Long poles, i've seen that being done and it does work. i need to get some long poles, though. i was thinking that if i had some big wheels those would work, too.

There are dinky wheels on three of the corners, one fell off. But they are getting jammed into the dirt when i get it onto the grass. My husband can't help me as his back is out.

Right now i'm trying to get prepared for a big storm coming on Tuesday. So i may have to just tarp this puppy and wait till next week. i have two pens that need roofing before the rains hit.

Wish i could just wiggle my nose and have the coop magically transport to the backyard.

 

[AmCanyonStables]

Hey, I just noticed where you are. If you are coming down 80 toward Vallejo any time soon, stop by and you can see my coop and how the door works. I am just off 80 about 1/2 mile down American Canyon Road.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Quote:
Sounds great. i don't get out much, but will let you know when i'm heading that way. i always love to see what others have created for their chickens.

 

[LuvinMyPeeps]

What an awesome find!

I don't think a hinged roof would be the way to go, and I'm speaking from personal experience. I have a Chick-N-Run I bought when I first got started with my 4 chicken flock (now I have a larger 10 x 14 coop with a about 25 chickens). I still use the Chick-N-Run for a hospital or quarantine coop, but here are the cons I feel re: that:

1) You must prop up the roof top to clean.

2) Pain to clean bending over.

3) must scoop out each shovel of litter

4) Must create floor for it if not on grass. If on grass, gets muddy.

I HIGHLY advise you to create a barn type door on one side and raise the entire coop slightly (6-8" or so you can scoop out the litter easily. The wagon can be sitting under the coop floor and you just scoop into the wagon & dump in the compost pile. It will stay drier too! I think even maybe making an egg box out of one of the open windows would be neat too?

I am jealous - there are so many possibilities!!!

-

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i've thought about raising it up on legs or a platform, to create space underneath for the silkies to hang out and stay dry. That would also make better use of our space. i did that with our chick-n-barn, i put in a floor then created legs on each corner to raise it about two feet.

 

[AmCanyonStables]

I think I can post a photo now - here is the side with the big door, and it also shows how it is raised up.