Using an old travel trailer for a coop

[Tonopah Pati]

Oh yes a camp trailer makes a great coop. I have been telling my DS3, that I will make a coop out of his old VW Bus that he left in my yard. It is where I want to build a coop. It would be perfect.

This is the bus and the new baby pen area under construction.

 

[domino7]

I think it's a great idea. Chickens really aren't that fussy. I put the word out that I needed free wood, and ended up building mine for $300. $60 of it was chicken wire. It's 8x16. I had enough materials left for an 8x8 addition. It's amazing what people will give you. I had to buy the OSB, paint, chicken wire, and some hardware.

 

[gsim]

An old van body from a junk yard might be good too. Durable, cheap, no external construction or painting needed, windows that operate, predator proof, and sure to please the neighbors.

Well, 6 out of 7 is pretty good.

 

[CARS]

Quote:
I can't believe that you would take a classic bus and turn it into a coop. Have you tried to sell it?? I would think you could pay for one heck of a coop for what the sale of a rust free Az bus would bring. PM me with the info on the bus (year, model, condition, etc) and I will help you get a value on it.

 

[Tonopah Pati]

No, NO, I wouldn't make a coop out of the old Bus. I just am trying to motivate him to remove it from my yard. He also has his old truck in my yard. The Truck was mine, I gave it to my DS2 for his B-Day for a backup work truck. When DS3 came to AZ. to work with DS2. DS2 gave him the truck for a bonus on a job. Then DS3 moved to VA, and Sweet, the truck, Windy, the Bus live in my back Yard. Well the truck can stay. He is using the bus for storage at the present time.








This is in my back yard. I am a classic Car and Truck Freak. Trucks are my first pick.! Chris I will get all the info on the bus from DS3. It does have some rust on the slide door. The bus lived in NC for 5 years. I have had it at my house for for at least 4 years now.

 

[TeamChaos]

here's the trailer I speak of...

That's the floor, looking pretty bad.

 

[TeamChaos]

I am still really confused about what to do about the floor. The tiles are shriveled and peeling up, they will have to be chipped out. I have no idea how it will work to dump a bunch of litter in there and expect to be able to clean it out easily... I read a lot of recommendations for dirt floors in a coop, maybe I'm asking for problems if I have a floor...?

 

[RocketDad]

I'd scrape the peeling tiles but not worry about the parts that stick... unlike if you were to be remodeling for money.... And then stick something down on top of the old floor. Masonite, 1/4" plywood, vinyl (roll) flooring, etc. would all work. Paint masonite or plywood with thick 2nd coats. I use a half-hearted deep-litter method and a square-shovel to maintain an orderly coop floor.

For scraping the floor: look for a tool that looks like a hoe but not bent. It's sold as a scraper in home improvement tools, not gardening tools. I've worn mine out, I've used it so much. Great for scraping loose flooring. And ice on steps. And poo in the coop.

 

[gsim]

Could scrape first, then screw down some 1/2" osb, smooth side up. Then glue linoleum remnants down. May want to do a permanent fan at both ends for heat/fumes/humidity removal. A good find and predator proof. Check wheel wells and storage bins for holes that could let mice/rats/weasels in. Those old ones are made using particle board floors, and that stuff falls apart with humidity and age.

 

[dlfridie]

I knew I had this somewhere in my favs. I would love to see more pics of it.

Did you see this one?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=236333&p=3