Building our mobile chicken coop.
When we moved to our new home late last year, we had no home for our egg laying chickens. We didn't want a permanent coop and run setup, we hoped to be able to utilize the chickens all over our property for weed control, pest control, fertilizer etc.
We had already had experience keeping the chickens in electric poultry netting as that's what we had been using in our little 1/8th acre suburban yard to range our chickens where we wanted. We definitely wanted to continue using the netting, but combined with some sort of mobile coop.
I placed an ad in a local Facebook buy and sell group, looking for a cheap 6 x 4 trailer. We found one, went and had a look, and brought it home. For a hundred bucks I had a good base to build a chicken coop on. I had no real plan, just some rough ideas in my head and put it together as I went along.
One of the main features we had decided on was the automatic, solar powered door. We have had trouble with foxes taking chickens during the night. Not so long ago we lost one good layer and a half dozen or so young chicks when the electric fence energizer failed at night. That cemented our decision to buy the automatic door.
Some roofing framework, some plywood walls, a bit of paint and it started to look like a home for our hens.
Some salvaged roofing iron to keep the rain out and a ramp to get inside and it was time to let the girls have a look.
It is still not totally completed, but the girls don't mind. They are warm and dry, and safe from predators at night, so they've graciously allowed me some extra time to complete their self feeder, mount their automatic waterer and finish the storage box to go on the other side of the coop. They are, however, insistent that I hurry up and get the dividers put in their nesting box area. Apparently that sort of thing is important to a lady chicken.
Thanks for reading.
Dave and Kama.
Duck Ponds Farm.
Good job! I like your trailer idea!
Thank you! It's a little heavy to move on my own, but we hook it up to the car if need be. We only have a few hens at the moment but are growing out plenty more ;)
This looks very nice. Great idea. I use to have chickens. Nothing beats a fresh egg. Thanks for the post very helpful. I hope to have some chickens again. I had a coop in Colorado but I live in Florida now. There are a couple chickens roaming the neighborhood. I had road island reds. They were good egg layers and cold hearty.
Thank you. I do like the Rhode Island Reds :)
That chicken smacks-down anyone who says birds aren't from dinosaurs! Good gosh, that's a face only momma could love! LOL
That's a very nice coop! Great job!
She's gorgeous lol. She's a bit of a pet that one. Had a rough time with the rest of the flock and we had to nurse her back to health and try to reintegrate her into the flock.
I love how the trailer turned out! Your girls are living in a nicer house than what we have haha.
I did not know that automatic doors are a thing. Sure beats the nightly question, did you lock the chickens up?
It sure does. They are now enclosed by 2 layers of protection. They have electric netting and a fully closed coop, so if 1 fails, they should still be OK.
Loved this post!! That solar door is sick!!!! Sick in a good way.
Meaning...you're awesome and you are crazy talented!! One of the coolest chicken coops I've ever seen. Super cool.
Upvoted, Resteemed, Followed! 😀👍🏻
Thank you!
That is awesome! I need one of those doors, where did you find it?
They are an Australian made product. I'm not sure if there are others made in other countries or not. I got mine from www.hensafe.com.au
That's probably the best chicken coop idea that I've seen in a long time! Completely mobile.
Thank you! We could even tow it down the highway if we wanted haha. The best part I like so far is that I can push a button on the automatic door so that it won't open in the morning. Means I can go down and move the fence and the coop to wherever I want with the hens still inside the coop. Makes it super easy.
Yes, that's an extra bonus.
Perfect set up. Great job!!