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Coop Mark I - finished page 5!

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clothmama
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Re: Chicken tractor / temporary coop.

Postby clothmama » Thu Jun 30, 2016 8:21 pm

J not feeling well today so didn't want to start power tooling! I filled all the pesky Ikea holes which need a day to dry so still moved forward.

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Re: Chicken tractor / temporary coop.

Postby clothmama » Sat Jun 03, 2017 10:33 am

Not sure why I didnt' take photos of where we actually got to (maybe I did but can't find them) but the roof is on, with a lift up side with hardware cloth so they can have lots of air in the summer and easy to clean as it all lifts out. Will take an update pic before I start work! Needs the access to the loft bit for sleeping cutting and ramp making (think it will be the same bit), roosting boxes putting on now that we are going to be getting some layers rather than babies (I bought 2 . 30cm plastic tubs to use as apparently makes easy to clean as you can just lift them out), hardware cloth on, access door downstairs and painting!

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Re: Chicken tractor / temporary coop.

Postby clothmama » Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:12 pm

As a kick up the bum to get this finished I'm picking up baby birds (4.5 and 5.5 weeks old) tomorrow. They are going in a little coop that is a bit rickety and not very waterproof but putting them in one of the barns until it warms up a bit / they finish growing their feathers.

I have now purchased paint for the chicken tractor as of this week :yahoo: so just need to finalise how the trapdoor / ramp will work / go etc - this has been a nightmare and keeps making me walk away as I can't decide how to do it :oops:

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Re: Chicken tractor / temporary coop.

Postby clothmama » Fri Mar 02, 2018 8:39 am

Soooooo with all the rain and cold we have had until this week I've not been able to move forward with this. The other issue I have is that I dont' feel it is big enough- it was built fairly early on in my chicken research and as a way of doing it quickly with some cheap materials. Also it was meant for the silkies and now I have a almost adult sussex I'm looking at her and looking at the top sleeping bit and feeling a bit 'oh poop' :oops: :oops: . However clever hubby has come up with a great plan, I'm going to stick some legs on it with the new floor lower down (and maybe leave the higher one as a 2nd story :giggle: and we'll have a decent sized coop :hohoho: :hohoho: :hohoho: Watch this space!

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Re: Chicken tractor / temporary coop.

Postby confusinglady » Fri Mar 02, 2018 12:56 pm

Don't forget the big wheels to make it look like a tractor :hohoho:

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Re: Chicken tractor / temporary coop.

Postby clothmama » Sat Mar 03, 2018 8:30 am

New revised plan gets even cooler! I'm (I use this term loosely :hohoho: :hohoho: ) going to build a frame that is 1 metre high with 6 legs and chicken hardcloth wire stuff around the sides and a piece of board on top (so this gives me a surface o 1.4x1.4m so I can happily get equivalent of 6 chickens in that space :lol: . The A frame 'tractor' can then sit on it (and be bolted together for safety of course!) and become a proper coop but can also be taken off in the future to use as a tractor if needed. I'll probably leave the existing floor in the top of the A frame (which is the right space for 2 or 3 chooks) so they will in effect have a 2 story apartment with a garden underneath :hohoho: Genius :wink: :giggle:

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Re: Chicken tractor / temporary coop.

Postby autumnalgirl » Sat Mar 03, 2018 8:42 am

clothmama wrote:New revised plan gets even cooler! I'm (I use this term loosely :hohoho: :hohoho: ) going to build a frame that is 1 metre high with 6 legs and chicken hardcloth wire stuff around the sides and a piece of board on top (so this gives me a surface o 1.4x1.4m so I can happily get equivalent of 6 chickens in that space :lol: . The A frame 'tractor' can then sit on it (and be bolted together for safety of course!) and become a proper coop but can also be taken off in the future to use as a tractor if needed. I'll probably leave the existing floor in the top of the A frame (which is the right space for 2 or 3 chooks) so they will in effect have a 2 story apartment with a garden underneath :hohoho: Genius :wink: :giggle:


Sounds posher than some houses :giggle: they're going to start making demands soon!!!

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Re: Chicken tractor / temporary coop.

Postby clothmama » Sat Mar 03, 2018 9:14 pm

Operation A frame chicken tractor conversion well underway today :yahoo: :yahoo:
This is the new base, it will be painted, hardwire cloth installed and a door to open for them and me to get food / water in there. It was almost dark when we stopped so don't have a pic of the door but it is 1/2 of one side. With all the bracing it is sooo stable :D :D Will be even more rock solid with the floor installed on the top :thumbsup:
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Before we started doing the door we wanted to make sure it all fitted / worked as we wanted so we put the tractor on the top. It is soooo high :hohoho: :hohoho: if I end up using the top layer when it is in this configuration I'll need to get a ladder or steps to get into the top. I'm thinking I'll just use it as storage but it is still there when we want to use it without the base as a proper tractor. Sorry the sun was really low so funny light. We still need to work out the bottom of the A frame as it was originally supposed to be wire but now will need to be solid.
Image

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Re: Chicken tractor / temporary coop.

Postby clothmama » Sun Mar 11, 2018 7:33 am

I'm so pleased with how it is looking, the wood selaer was a good one that we picked up cheap at one of the discounts stores they have here (end of runs / liquidations etc) paints and stuff are really expensive here so great way to buy and the colour is actually really nice.

The base, it is upside down but I'll get a pic of the lovely pop door we built when it turns back over!
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So this is how we are doing it - the boards aren't fixed on yet but the idea is that the gap bit will be filled with hardcloth so they are safe but have good ventilation :D
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And after adding the sealer - I don't think I'd finished when I took this pic if some of it looks bit pale :giggle: The roof will be covered with tar paper roofing stuff.
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