Thoughts on how to mount a chicken shed on wheels?

[washxc]

We've got a nice little 4x8 chicken coop built and we'd like to make it mobile. Any suggestions for doing this? TSC has some decent wheels, but they're only rated for 450 pounds and I think we're over that...

thoughts?

 

[schmism]

use a cheep harbor freight trailer.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42708

pull the axle off and mount it on the rear, attach the toung to the front and use some trailer jacks to keep the front up. when you need to move, lower the jacks, drop the toung onto a 4wheeler or tractor and move it.

 

[Lumenos]

I've been wondering how I can do this also. I'm planning to convert a ping pong table into a mobile coop (some details here). I have a barbell. I'm thinking I may be able to cut out two wheels from a trunk of a large fallen oak tree, drill holes in them, pound them onto the barbell and secure them just like weights.

 

[rbd171]

i used 6" lawn mower wheels. works ok, but a bit larger wheels on my bumpy lawn might have made it easier to push around. as it is, i can do it myself but its much easier when i have help. the bottom rail is very heavy oak. this will last a long long time.

i have this for sale for 200 dollars on craigs list. i purchased the hardware but most the wood was obtained as scrap from work and craigslist.

i am going to make another portable pen but a bit differently. lighter weight and easier access.

i will use 2x2 frame all the way around, i'll try not to use 2x4's but i may need em for support for the roost/hen box. I will also build the hen box up off the ground and put a tin roof on top. i still will use a tarp for the side to shade the hot evening sun or to protect against horizontal rain and wind.

 

[Lumenos]

I have about eight wheels from a broken stroller and a tricycle. They are all just about the size of those. They have plastic hubs so I didn't think they would be strong enough for a coop made of a converted ping pong table. I'm not really certain. I also need to be able to go over weeds that are about 2 or 3 inches in diameter and have stiff stalks. I'm trying to save money by building most of it out of wood, instead of hardware cloth. I'm hoping it will be large enough to use as a brooding area and sleeping/roosting area for a hatching of muscovy ducklings and their mother, till they are old enough to eat!

 

[Tman2]

I'd just use the stuff from TSC. You figure that when they say the weight, they mean for actually towing and moving on a consistent basis. You're only going to move the coop a little each time. Also, they give a number, but it could certainly handle more. How many people really know how much stuff weighs. They have to throw out a number, and they are going to be conservative.

Good luck.

 

[Prospector]

We are facing similar design questions. With 10 chicks growing every day, we need to figure out something quickly. We know there are a pile of predators around our semi-rural property including domestic and feral cats and dogs, and all the normal natural predators. Whatever wheels we use need to be retractable so that the coop will sit flat. I am considering a leverage system, but don't want to add to the dead loading on the wheels.

Since we are recycling other structures we don't have a lot of choice in building materials, so we can't go to undersized lumber unless I mill it all myself. I don't have that much energy.

I am considering bicycle wheels in order to move over rough terrain, but I wonder if they can handle the weight.

 

[washxc]

I actually tried the wheels at TSC rated for 450 lbs. Between the weight of the coop and the weight of a worker getting in and out the tires went flat. Besides that, the tires were really expensive ($57 each). I'm going to look at an axle from a snowmobile trailer tonight that has 4.8x8 tires. If it works it'll actually be cheaper than the TSC tires.