off-grid hen
Songster
I waffled so much about what kind of coop to build (doesn't everyone?)- Chicken trailer or Woods style open front? Hm... Well! I officially have had my dreams come true because today hubby started construction on a Woods style chicken trailer!
Hubby is building this on a "won't pass inspection and it needs too much work to sell for a decent price" bri-mar trailer with grid ramps. I (HE!) will be adding 2 rows of exterior easy-access nesting boxes with drop down doors over the wheel wells on the right as you look in. The leghorns will have some smaller boxes on the "second floor". Now I guess We will have to figure out which side to put the pop door on, and what color to paint it. We are using galvanized tin roofing that we had leftover. (It's only about 5 years old.) We will have two large pasture- sized runs that we just back the trailer into and close the gate. The dimesions that I can recall... For those familiar with this style house... we used the plans for 6x 10 house but made it 6 x 16, the length of the trailer. We will also be adding a droppings board under the roosts, which will be at the back wall. I will add more dimensions later, and will update with more photos throughout the process. Hubby and his buddy threw this together in 8 hours. Ah, the beauty of power tools! Gotta love nail guns.
Here we go!
View from the front.
We are using the ramps as part of the open-front, this way I can rolll the wheelbarrow right in! We will be building window frames on the ramps.
Now with windows! Still need one more window for the other side. We got "display" windows from a replacement window place. They are covered with hardware cloth- panes can be removed if needed.
Front of coop. Ack! Sorry for blurry photo.
The window/door opens for my people door. Blurry again.
Photos of the inside.
The "open front". The chicks outgrew the brooder and are staying in the coop with their ecoglow. I had to put plastic on the windows bc the coop is facing the wind, and I needed to block the crazy freezing wind.
The back roost area. We will add bigger roosts in a bit. (They are only 5 weeks old). I'm so glad it's warmer now and they don't need that rubbermaid bin with the holes around their ecoglow. I had to wipe the inside with a towel three times a day to keep ahead of the condensation. Makes me THAT much happier I'm going with the Woods design.
Couple bonus photos of the girls.
Here we go!
View from the front.
We are using the ramps as part of the open-front, this way I can rolll the wheelbarrow right in! We will be building window frames on the ramps.
Now with windows! Still need one more window for the other side. We got "display" windows from a replacement window place. They are covered with hardware cloth- panes can be removed if needed.
Front of coop. Ack! Sorry for blurry photo.
The window/door opens for my people door. Blurry again.
Photos of the inside.
The "open front". The chicks outgrew the brooder and are staying in the coop with their ecoglow. I had to put plastic on the windows bc the coop is facing the wind, and I needed to block the crazy freezing wind.
The back roost area. We will add bigger roosts in a bit. (They are only 5 weeks old). I'm so glad it's warmer now and they don't need that rubbermaid bin with the holes around their ecoglow. I had to wipe the inside with a towel three times a day to keep ahead of the condensation. Makes me THAT much happier I'm going with the Woods design.
Couple bonus photos of the girls.
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