The coop is almost finished, but I want to move it!

[quietlyscheming]

I have a 6ftx8ft coop (a converted kids playhouse ) made from very sturdy 2x4's and 2x8's. It's heavy to say the least. I moved it by myself with a 2 inch pipe, a car jack, a few 12x12 concrete pavers and 2 old bed casters. I dug under the front and used the floor jack to lift the front end. I got it high enough to drill holes for the bed casters and set it down gently onto the concrete pavers. Then I jacked the back side up and put my pipe down. After that it was just some good old shoving power and moving my paving stones to keep the casters on solid ground. Worked out great!


This photo was taken before I moved it but you can see it's quite sturdy and heavy.

It was originally too close to my back fence and I moved it a few feet but there's no reason why it wouldn't work for you. I would suggest a larger pipe though. I used a 2 inch because that's what I had laying around and I didn't want to buy one.

Here's a great video of a group of kids moving a large shed on youtube.

How to Move a Shed

I was pretty inspired by this video and figured if a bunch of kids could do it, so could I.

Let us know how it goes!

 

[70monte]

Quote:
That is how I moved my coop from the trailer to the spot I wanted it when I bought it home from the builder. I used 2" pvc pipe and rolled the coop along on the pipe. My coop is only 4x8 and it was just my fiance and I moving it.

Wayne

 

[Fenika]

Excellent. Thanks for the additional info

I have a plan, I just need the time and help. There is a tree stump that is more in the way than I thought, but I should be able to roll right past it.

 

[Fenika]

Okay, I haven't even tried to start but I'm strongly considering a better spot farther away. The problem is I have to go steadily uphill on unlevel ground. At one point I'll be trying to move the coop north and the slope goes east and a little south. Is the coop going to slide off the wood posts and crash?!? I have plenty of bricks to try and level it a bit....

 

[jerryb]

I would take the easy way out on moving this:

go to the corner gas station and buy a case of beer. then call my 24 year old neighbor's house during halftime of sunday's football game and ask if they guys watching the game would move my coop and offer to buy them a case of beer for the effort.

easy-peasy!

cheers
Jerry

 

[Carols Clucks]

5 of us shoved our coop in to place, it is 4x8 but has a floor and exterior nest boxes. It is raised on 4 4x4 post corners. We lifted one end and put some junk plywood strips under the feet and then did the other end the same way. We used other scrap wood to put under the first strips so we could shove forward on to new sections and then take the first one out and move to the front of the second strip. It was a ton of work...but we got it there!

I would think that if you could use a jack to lift the front of yours up and get the first strip under the front 4x4's and then do the same with the back, use a couple of the web tow straps around the whole thing and move a few feet at a time you can do the same thing. Or add skids to the 4x4's and make it an ark and move that way as well.

 

[70monte]

Here is what I did to make my 4x8 mobile. I had to bolt two 4x4's to the bottom of my coop for these skids to work but it wasn't that difficult. I then used screws to attach the skids to the 4x4's.

Your best bet would probably be to bolt two 4x4's under your coop and then screw in some large eyelets into the end of the 4x4's and then just drag the coop where you want it. I would cut the ends of the 4x4's at an angle so they don't dig into the ground. I used brackets found at Lowe's to attach the 4x4's to the bottom of my coop.

Wayne

 

[Fenika]

Thanks folks. My uncle suggested getting a bunch of guys to lift it, but didn't have a good idea on where to get the manpower. That's a pretty coop, by the way

 

[70monte]

Here is what I used to roll my coop into place originally and what I left the coop on until I put the skids on it. The coop rolled very easily on the 2" pvc pipe and was easy to turn to place it in it's current location.

Wayne