What would you do if you had a bunch of old pallets laying around? The answers would differ from person to person. Some might make neat bookshelves out of them while others might burn them to keep warm, still others might use them to make a composting area. However, forum user Acuario decided he was going to build a chicken coop.
There are no plans available for the coop. Acuario just took a bit of time to think it out ahead of time and went to work. He even claims to be pretty bad with woodworking.
The tools he used to build the chicken coop are:
- jigsaw
- tape measure
- hammer
- electric screwdriver (drill with a bit)
- set square
- staple gun
This article isn’t really intended as a DIY article exactly. But, the design is relatively simple and should be able to be followed from the many pictures below.
Starting with a pile of pallets.
Build the sides up with posts at each corner to nail to.
Don’t forget to add an opening for the chickens!
A sheet of plastic was used to help keep rain out of the coop.
Easy access to the coop.
The chickens seem to like it. It is certainly better than what they can build on their own.
To see more details of the build you can check out Actuario’s forum thread on the chicken coop.
{ 3 comments }
Looks cute and cozy. You might want to but the plastic on the outside of the roof otherwise the water will collect behind the boards and rot very quickly. Also some ventilation like some holes in the bottom and along the top edge would be good so the hens get some fresh air.
Looks solid.
We used pallets as dividers on a 825-gallon rainwater collection system.
http://ecoprojecteer.net/2013/07/rainwater-catchment-goes-big/
If I lived in a rainy country then the plastic would be better on the outside although as the chickens like sleeping on top then they might end up ripping it to shreds with their claws. The other problem would be the plastic degrading in the sun and disintegrating. In rainy countries a different sort of waterproofing would probably be advisable.
As I live in Spain and it rarely rains I doubt I’ll suffer too much from damp rot!
Comments on this entry are closed.