Putting skids or wheels on an existing coop

[sunrise.superman]

Hi! Love this group. So much info! I'm buying an existing coop so I can feed my chicken addiction and have room for my dozen or so. I have about 1/4 acre lot is all now, and a danged heavy coop. I won't be moving my coop very often, but I'd love to avoid having to round up 4 or 5 guys to shift it as I reconfigure my chicken area.

Any ideas on how to attach wheels or skids that might allow 2 people to shift it? I've searched but not come across anything similar with a raised, non-shed type coop. (No lawn tractor involved in moving it here.)

Also, for those with movable coops, which methods have worked for weighting it down for winter weather/winds? Don't need tipped over hens!

Thank you for any help or suggestions

,

Dawn

 

[PirateGirl]

Does the coop need to be raised off the ground? If you saw the legs off it will be lower and more stable and less likely to blow over onto its side. Just a thought.

 

[PirateGirl]

I think I would use something like wheelbarrow wheels.

 

[jthornton]

It looks pretty heavy now I doubt a wheel barrow wheel will work. 4x4 skids could work if you have something to pull it with. Is this just an ad for it or do you own it now? BTW, Gimp is a free image editor you can use to crop the images with but it looks like your using a phone or something do dunno if it works with that.

JT

 

[aart]

4x6' coop is going to be tight for 12 birds.
4x4" skids, attached to legs, and 3 or 4 large pvc pipes might move,
might take more than 2 people tho unless your land is flat and smooth.

 

[Frolick]

I am wanting to make my coop portable as well, but my coop is smaller and on the ground so I think it would be easier to mount some type of skids like pvc on the bottom. That does sound like a good idea. Thank you and good luck to you Sunrise. Superman. Sorry I wasn't any help.

 

[jthornton]

I am wanting to make my coop portable as well, but my coop is smaller and on the ground so I think it would be easier to mount some type of skids like pvc on the bottom. That does sound like a good idea. Thank you and good luck to you Sunrise. Superman. Sorry I wasn't any help.

While PVC pipe will slide pretty easy over grass (when new) the difficulty is trying to figure out how to mount the pipe.

JT

 

[aart]

While PVC pipe will slide pretty easy over grass (when new) the difficulty is trying to figure out how to mount the pipe.

JT

...and bend a curve in front.

 

[Frolick]

While PVC pipe will slide pretty easy over grass (when new) the difficulty is trying to figure out how to mount the pipe.

JT

I should be able to cut a 1.5 " pvc in diameter down the center of the pipe and slide it on to the bottom of the coop and try to box it in. I am not sure exactly. It's still a work in progress.

 

[EggWalrus]

I should be able to cut a 1.5 " pvc in diameter down the center of the pipe and slide it on to the bottom of the coop and try to box it in. I am not sure exactly. It's still a work in progress.

You would probably need larger pvc skids than 1.5".
Best bet would be like Aart and Thornton suggested, 4x4s. Just bevel one end so they don't dig into the ground, attach them to coop legs along the long axis. I'd put at least a 2x4 across the top of the two front beveled skids so when you pull it with a car or truck, it doesn't snap the front of the skids/legs together and tear the coop apart.
Good luck!