Recycled old farm trailer. We had to power wash off all the green moss, added used set of tires. Painted the trailer frame, and added flooring.
The trailer base is 8x6 and it is 5 ft high on sides, 6 ft in center of ceiling. We framed the coop walls to accommodate 2 windows on different walls and 2 solid walls for positioning for inclement weather.
We added plywood to the roof for insulation and sound barrier before covering it with metal. There is a space along the entire roof for air circulation that was not covered entirely by the plywood.
The air space on the ridge cap not covered by the plywood on the roof
Framing in the front for a recycled window and entrance door frame. The window was inserted backwards, allowing me to open and close without going inside the coop. Best decision ever!
Side window framed in. Plenty of air flow under roof vents spanning entire roofline on both sides of the coop. Heavy hardware cloth was inserted and stapled from inside along ridge vents.
Framing the entrance door. I opted to add the chicken access door into the main door frame to limit any potential predator access points.
Entrance side of coop. Framing in the access door
Cedar boards covered the entrance door, a gift from a neighbor that cut the boards from cedar trees on his farm. The door is heavy which is why I opted for wood rather than continuing with the tin. Again, predator proof. My dog Scotty approves of the new door!
The entrance door has a tractor implement pin used to secure the door to the coop frame when closed. It has to be pulled out of a hole we drilled to release the door from the frame. The pin is accessed when you lift the chicken door incorporated in the entrance door. The only lock accessible on the outside of the coop door is on the chicken door.
The chicken access door is held open by a common screen door latch when open. The access door for the chickens is 12x12
Side view. Windows were calked and wooden sills were painted.
We added a piece of scrap vinyl flooring down after we put 4 coats of water sealant on the wood floors. I repurposed an old plastic school locker for the nest boxes. I have 2 larger upper nest boxesI use for storage and the chickens use the bottom three. I have 13 hens and find the 3 nest boxes are plenty. I used 2x4 for perched, 4 inch side up for chickens to roost comfortable. The back perch is 16 inches off the back wall. The perches were originally same height, 12 inches apart but there were pecking issues so I rearranged the perches to make 3 that staggered in height. That solved the pecking issues. I had to add a slanted roof to the nest boxes as the girls wanted to roost on top. I added matching vinyl flooring to the nest box slanted roof and that kept it slick enough they were not able to roost there anymore. The entire coop has vent along the gables on both sides covered with hardware cloth. The perches are under the vents enough that there is no draft issues. No frostbite issues.
Hardware cloth over both recycled vinyl interior windows, again both windows open from the OUTSIDE! Definitely the best design of the coop as far as convenience.
Grandson was a big helper and wants it for a playhouse!
Recycled side window opens from outside. Coop trailer has a hitch to move it around the farm using our 4 wheeler.
I added a poop hammock using a recycled tent cover. I added fence staples to the wood frame and just tied the poop hammock to it with bale twine. Here you can see the staggered perch heights. The poop hammock is high enough the chickens roam under it using all the floor space. I plan to modify the height of the nest boxes this spring. I could get more floor space if I move them higher on the wall. My 6x8 coop gives me 48 square ft.of space, leaving each chicken with 4 square foot. This is more than adequate in inclement weather when they don't get out for a day or two.
The entire coop is surrounded by an electric poultry fence measuring 40x40. We move the coop to allow for more shade in summer and fresh grazing when necessary. The 5 gallon bucket we made with two 90 degree elbows and allows for 3 weeks worth of food. I have 2 automatic feed buckets in the fenced run.In winter, we place an old recycled truck cap onto bales of straw in the run area and the chickens spend most of the day under that shelter. It stays warm and acts as a wind breaker. They mingle between the coop and the shelter.
