Important! This is NOT a predator-proof build and should be used only inside a secure area.
The 4, month-old chicks I picked up yesterday came with a 4x8 coop, but we had to take the tarp walls off for transport and it was starting to rain when we got home so I quickly set them up in dog-crate broody-breaker (with some extra weatherproofing). By evening I'd decided that my needs would be better served by upgrading the dog crate and using the 4x8 structure as a brooder for additional chicks coming in the mail.
Since many of us find ourselves with unexpected chickens and need temporary facilities from time to time, I figured I'd document today's build of a mini-coop-and-run.
The foundation of this build is a very large, wire, dog crate -- 28"w x 42"l x 30"h. I'm also using various scrap pieces of metal roofing/siding, a tarp, and some other random odds and ends.
The crate is the coop and the run is a 3'x5' "playpen" made of 2x2's and plastic mesh that I was given. That gives me an 8 square foot coop and a 15 square foot run -- 23 square feet overall, which is a nice size for up to half a dozen chicks just off heat, for a broody on her nest, or for temporary housing for a few adults during integration. It is, however, unsuited for long-term housing of standard-size adults.
First, Crate Into Coop
#1. The Roof
I happen to have several pieces of metal roofing/siding left, even after having built the Feeder/Waterer Shelter. Just one wasn't big enough so I overlapped 2 of them to make a roof with a nice overhang.
#2. The Sides
This part was cobbled together with whatever I had handy. The pan from the feeder was bungied onto one side of the cage, two smaller pieces of metal siding were secured to the end and the other side with concrete blocks and a small pallet for support, and the tarp was draped overall and secured in order to provide additional rain-proofing for young chicks who aren't perching yet. If using this setup for adult integration I wouldn't have bothered with the tarp.
I draped the tarp overall rather than put right it against the wire to allow for better ventilation since heat is a bigger problem than cold in my climate. A tarp alone without the other siding could have been used in a climate where additional ventilation on days that could rise into the mid-90s wasn't needed.
Second, the Run
I didn't have to build this since I'd been given the frame of a brooder/playpen and a small roll of plastic mesh. I stapled the mesh to the frame, leaving an opening to match up with the door of the cage. I folded the mesh back instead of cutting it so that I could close up that side later and use the pen inside the new coop. I used an ordinary staple-gun since this will never be used in anything other than a predator-proof environment.
I set the run in place, using concrete blocks to hold it in place.
I could have constructed a similar, lightweight frame myself or used PVC pipe and secured the mesh with zip-ties.
Nice and simple. Not the cutest coop ever made, but suitable temporary quarters for grow-out and integration.
