shipping crate coop

[tabithas]

We found this shipping crate for free on craigslist, and decided to turn it into a coop! It is approximately 74"x30" and 48" tall...not huge, but enough for a few chickens.

Here is what we are starting with



We put in a shelf with a roost (complete with linoleum, and a backslpash for easy cleanup), and a ramp for the chickens to get up to the roost. We made everything removable, so when cleaning time comes, all the parts come out! We also put linoleum down on the floor.




This is what we have planned for the roof, but we still need to do a little tweaking on the plans for attaching it.



We also plan to add a couple nest boxes...perhaps under the roost on the inside. We are also considering insulating it. I will post more pics as progress is made. It is a bit small, but we are trying to utilize the space as best we can.

 

[Chick Charm]

Great job!

Love the vinyl "backsplash". Good idea. You could fit several in there just fine. I like the use of recycled goods. Saves time on building a coop also. What about ventilation? And Does it get cold in Denver?

Wish ya the best.

 

[tabithas]

There is ventilation at the top on both sides (you can't see it very well) between the roof and the top of the walls. This will be covered with hardware cloth to prevent any critters from getting in. We are also considering putting in a couple little windows, just not sure how to make that work.

It does get pretty chilly here in Denver in the winter. Nights often drop below freezing. We have a coop now that is not insulated, and the five chickens we currently have did just fine through the winter. This coop would just be pretty easy to insulate, so we thought we might. This will be a secondary coop as we have fallen victim to chicken math, and our current coop is a little to small to accomodate the four additional chicks we have. They are currently in a small make shift grow out coop until they are big enough to join the big girls. They are 8 weeks old and tonight is their first night outside...I'm like a nervous new mom. LOL!

Here is the current coop and run that we have. We started out with a very small run, but then added a much bigger run onto it.