I like chickens and have been thinking somewhat casually about having a few for some time. Through one of my wife’s contacts, we took receipt of 4 Buff Orpington chicks about two weeks ago that were hatched around mid September. This puts them in about their 7th or 8th week. At some point prior to their arrival, I realized that if I were going to have chickens, I would need some place for them to live and thrive. A couple of things were considerations. First, this was going to be a recreational operation for the enjoyment of our family (we can already get farm fresh eggs from a friend for $1/doz), second, I was firm that I was not going to lay out $800-1000 for a pre-made coop that you can find at all the shed and outdoor playset places , and third, the chicken’s dwelling was going to be an awesome, stress-free environment.
After little google searching, I found a little inspiration in something called a “chicken tractor” at
Home Page. So after determining the size I would need for my four Buffs, I went to work transposing their overall sketch to some graph paper, assembled a materials list, and after about 50hrs and $500 in materials, I want
from this:
To This:
It might seem like a pile of money and time for four chickens to some of you veterans, but this little project was immensely satisfying, I learned a lot, and ended up saving some money and having a dwelling that should last for many years to come! It’s also awesome to see my little kiddies having a blast holding and enjoying them.
Here are a few in-process shots. This first one shows the rear of the coop, and the three nesting boxes that are covered by a separate, hinged roof that is lifted to collect the eggs (which likely won’t come for about another 6month from now). The coop also has a light fixture inside for the colder winter days/nights to come, and a roosting beam the length of the coop that is positioned atop the front/rear walls.
This shot shows the run which is bolted to the front of the coop structure and has an access door. I later fitted the run with handles so that the whole thing can be pivoted up from the front about the wheels and then rolled to position it wherever we want to in our lawn.
Meet the girls!!
Now I realize there has been lots and lots of discussion recently about exhaust exit locations for some considering under car exhausts…I just thought I would include my final location on the coupe….errr.. coop.
So there must be other Cobra enthusiasts out there with chicken operations…Let’s see ‘em!!!
- Allen.
The Fullchat289 Chicken Operation – Let’s see your’s!
Threaded Mode
