When it got here time to create our new “hay wagon” hen coop for the farm – we needed a coop that would not solely defend our little hens from predators and the weather – but additionally one which could possibly be cell and permit our chickens to free vary all around the farm.
To do this with out breaking the financial institution – we spent this summer season turning an outdated hay wagon into our model of the right little hen coop. And was it ever enjoyable to do!
If there’s one factor that has been lacking from our new farm, it’s chickens! Not solely can we miss having pleasant chickens roaming about and all of these scrumptious farm recent eggs, we additionally miss all the manure that they offer us for our gardens, flowerbeds and compost pile.
After all, along with all of these advantages, chickens are additionally nice for protecting ticks and different insect populations beneath management. Which is strictly why we couldn’t wait to construct a house for a small flock on the farm!
I must say now that it’s full – we’re so completely satisfied that it’s all of these issues and extra. And immediately, we are going to check out the way it all got here collectively. We have now additionally included a video of the coop and the construct on the finish of the article.
How To Create The Excellent Little Cellular Hen Coop – From An Previous Hay Wagon!
Along with being cell, our purpose for the coop was to make it as low upkeep to make use of as attainable. That meant making it straightforward to entry the eggs every day. Much more, it needed to be straightforward to refill meals and water provides for the chickens. And final however not least – it needed to be straightforward to wash and transfer.
Discovering An Previous Hay Wagon
Proper from the start, we settled on a hay wagon body to make it cell. Hay wagon frames actually make the right rolling inventory for a hen coop. The peak is ideal for including nesting packing containers which are simply accessible from the skin. Much more, they will hook up and roll and carry the burden of a coop with ease.
Fortunately, we have been capable of finding and buy a few outdated hay wagons within the spring – one for the coop venture, and the opposite for a future hay wagon trip venture for the farm. You possibly can truly discover hay wagon frames and wagons for an excellent worth on-line – and so they actually do final for years and years.
For starters, we stripped down the outdated wagon to its body. Subsequent, we energy washed and sanded down all the metallic and painted the body black. For stability, we created the body for the coop utilizing handled 2×6’s.
The general coop dimensions are 10′ lengthy x 5′ extensive. We used a double stack of 2x6s for the 2 foremost rails after which bolted them to the body. So as to add a bit of aptitude, we then lower out notches for a “pergola” model cross body and hooked up them to the 2 foremost rails.
Constructing The Coop – How To Create The Excellent Little Cellular Hen Coop
As soon as the inspiration was on the body, we then added 3/4″ handled plywood. We additionally made cutouts in the primary ground and laid in {hardware} fabric. This enables the coop to empty from the underside and provides airflow as effectively. The chickens truly like strolling on it – and it’s predator proof! Affiliate Hyperlink: {Hardware} Fabric
Then, we merely constructed our 10′ x 5′ coop with 2×4 studs proper on prime. Now it got here time so as to add all the neat little options that make this coop each low upkeep – and intensely secure for the chickens!
For the inside partitions, we clad them in galvanized v-groove metallic. It’s straightforward to wash, doesn’t rust – and retains the inside vivid as effectively. We then added two roosting bars and a nesting field with three separate laying field sections.
We inbuilt loads of home windows for mild and air. The entire home windows are lined in 1/2″ {hardware} fabric. It’s a lot robust to carry out any predator. For the primary aspect, we put in a big 3×4′ detachable display screen window/door.
It may be opened with wing nuts and makes cleansing the coop from exterior a breeze. With a small rake, all the straw might be emptied and cleaned when wanted – all with out ever having to go within the coop!
The Automated Door, Exterior Egg Packing containers & Feed Tubes – How To Create The Excellent Little Cellular Hen Coop
What actually makes the coop and chickens straightforward to keep up are 3 distinctive exterior options. The primary is an computerized door that opens after daybreak and closes at nightfall. It’s predator proof robust and permits the chickens complete security in a single day. Affiliate Product Hyperlink: RUN-CHICKEN Door Automated Hen Coop Door
As for feeding the chickens and retrieving eggs, that may be achieved from the skin as effectively. The egg packing containers might be opened from the skin. All from a couple of 3′ excessive stage, making it quite simple and straightforward to do. Not solely is it nice for us, it is also nice for the chickens.
For feeding, we used 4″ PVC pipe with a “U” that drops down the feed robotically utilizing gravity. That may be stuffed from the skin by unscrewing a cap on the prime of the pvc pipe that we curved to be exterior.
Test Out The New Hay Wagon Hen Coop Beneath
Final however not least, we may also use a rolling canine kennel behind the coop that retains the chickens secure through the day. We reside in an space with loads of bobcats, fox and coyote – and protecting them secure from them is an enormous precedence.
Our plan is to maneuver the coop each week to a brand new location for recent grass for the chickens. We nonetheless have a couple of particulars to complete up, together with portray the coop to match the farm’s colours. However earlier than lengthy – we are going to hopefully have chickens roaming about safely for a few years to come back! Pleased Gardening, Jim & Mary.
Previous World Backyard Farms
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The 2 are frequent audio system on all issues gardening and like to journey of their spare time.
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