Wine Barrel Coop - used, and needs cleaning

[JulieAdams]

Update:

Chickens have stopped eating shavings. Friends are donating newspaper to the cause so that's going well. Cleaning by hosing out is pretty nice, though I do have to get in there with a brush also. Basic run - just hardware wire and recycled redwood but we're going to add on a section so we can have a door.

It keeps the cat out. Do we have other worries to consider? As long as we get them inside at night, they're fine, right? They're about 6 weeks old now and we're still bringing them in the laundry room brooder at night though last night we turned off the heat lamp.

Never did get a decent pic of the interior of the barrel but basically it's the 2 bars from the wheelbarrow construction, plus a cross bar, for roosting, and a shelf with a semicircle cutout for the nest box -- they climb into the box through the cutout.

 

[Shelly_WNC]

oh boy you gotta love the cats seen there in the pics - good thing the run is secure.

 

[sierraberri]

Hi. I was so excited to find the pictures of your wine barrel coop! I want to make a coop from a wine barrel that I have and I've had a really hard time finding pictures to inspire the design. How has the coop been working for your chickens? Has it been difficult to clean? Any changes you would make to the design? I was wondering if you would mind posting a picture of the inside of the coop? Thank you!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
They need word bubbles over their heads, "oooo what have we got here?!" "Lunch?!"

 

[JulieAdams]

Hey Sierraberri!

(I so have to create a new identity with a cool name -- didn't realize that wasa the protocol when I signed up!)

The chickens love their barrel. We're keeping 3 in there. I wouldn't recommend more than that, unless your barrel is much bigger -- ours is about 2 x 3 inside. The poles go all the way through, creating roost bars, plus one more bar across. The pics are posted earlier in this post thread -- one end has the door for the next box, which is a shelf that fits inside through the doorway and sits crosswise atop the two longer bars. Because its built at an angle, like a wheelbarrow, the nest box is the highest point, which means they roost on it occasionally and some poop gets in there, but mostly they like to sit on the bars right by the open door and look out. I can reach in and clean out easily enough -- I put newspaper on the bottom and pine shavings. There's a hole in the bottom so I can hose it out and it drains easily. It does need a brushing too though. Earlier on this thread there is another Barrel design that looks more logical than mine.

Good luck! I'd love to see how yours comes out!

 

[JulieAdams]

p.s. I have been trying to get pics of inside but my photographic skills don't seem to be up to the task. Will try again...

 

[MareeZoCool]

NICE! Looks great, and is a fine garden centerpiece too. Love, love that antique-ish look!

 

[Cocotte]

What a cool looking coop!

 

[gibsonbuzz]

What kind of wine was in it. Or was it scotch. lol