Using an old travel trailer for a coop

[TeamChaos]

Has anyone done it? As I continue to plan and plan and plan for chickens this spring, I am still brainstorming for the best and cheapest coop available to me. We've got a broken down old trailer on the property... I was wondering if it would be worth it to gut it and use it as a chicken house. Would any of the insulation or materials used in there be dangerous/ toxic to chickens? Thanks for any links, advice or what-have-you.

 

[B'villechicken]

I think it would be a great idea!! Haven't done it personally but am quite familiar with travel trailers and the should make a good coop.

 

[the Pollo Loco]

That's a great idea, you can even move it around like a tractor!!!

 

[CARS]

I was suggesting a trailer house coop to my wife just a couple days ago! Insulated, has a furnace, could hook up water.... I think a trailer is a great idea!!!!!

 

[keeko]

I'm currently dealing with the same dilemma - how to get the best coop for my chickens in the spring, for very little money!

However, after pouring over coop designs and advice from other BYC members in the "coops" section - almost all of them kinda said the same thing. "Wish I had put a little more money into it" or "wish I hadn't reused that old shed/barn/structure/etc." When I was reading it, that didn't really help me (and probably doesn't help you either!). When I finally found an *amazing* home-made coop, I e mailed the member and it turned out the materials (without labor time) was nearly $1500!!

So, for me, I've narrowed it down to several cheap(ish) coop options. I think we're going with green chicken coops: www.greenchickencoops.com. I'm still corresponding with them via e mail, but they are SUPER nice, and I love the eco-friendly gestures that go into all their coops. The coops also seem to have everything that chickens need, and are not to bad to look at!

Either that, or there are VERY cheap coops on ebay, but they are for 4-6 hens MAX, so that's not a large flock.
This is the seller who carries them: http://shop.ebay.com/darterry/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=
They are "Cumfy Pet" brand coops. Materials are made in China (of COURSE), though it's a British company. The coops come needing assembly, but the woman told me all you need is a screw-driver, and half a brain!

Hope this helps - good luck!

 

[ams3651]

Quote:
oh, its been done. try searching for posts

 

[dlfridie]

I would love to own one too.
I've seen a few online, but I can't remember where.
You can even paint a mural on the side, like this one.

http://www.zephyrosfarmandgarden.com/gallery/21536#links

 

[TeamChaos]

That painted one is awesome!
I checked out the guy's video on youtube that has been linked in several related posts, impressive! His tutorial shows how to gut the trailer, but not what he replaced in it, if anything; he also doesn't talk about how he cleans it.

I'm still searching old posts here, the phrase "camper" turns up a few posts by folks who are considering doing it, but only one I found with finished pictures... and there are a lot of "happy campers" here at BYC from the looks of the search results

I tried "travel trailer" and found my own thread.

From what I've seen so far, no one is too concerned with how to clean it out, aside from whatever is under the roosting area. I had been thinking about cutting long notches on either end near the floor board so that I could hose the sucker down and let the water run out, but it seems as if that might be overkill.

 

[ams3651]

I remember seeing one post and they used a small camper trailer. Stripped everything from inside and laid down linoleum. I remember it because it was at the same time my son was dismantling one and I got some freebies from it when i was building my coop.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Been done many times over...