Mobile Coop Build

One of my goals for this year was to try and raise broiler chickens or ducks. To do that, I needed to build another chicken coop. Many homesteaders use mobile coops for broilers, given their short lives and the large numbers for birds used. The coop gets moved periodically to let the birds fertilize the area, trim the grass, and get access to fresh bugs. However, many of the mobile coop designs are large and very confining. I wanted to build something that would let the chickens roam a little more. I was planning on keeping a dozen or less birds at a time, so I no not need something large.

I made a couple of sketches, based on two pallets joined together, and settled on a simple approach that would have a sloping roof. Large, fold-down doors at each end will make cleaning easier. Rather than integrating the run area into the coop, I will use movable poultry fencing to keep the birds in, the predators out, and provide access to a larger area. The project started with Maggie picking up a couple of pallets in town. The pallets then sat in the garage for a couple of months while we finished the bathroom remodel and then the garden planting.

Now that the garden is in, I can make some progress on the coop. I bought two pressure treated 2x8s, and used those to bolt the pallets together and serve as runners. I screwed a sheet of 4x8 plywood to the top to provide a floor. I had planned on putting in linoleum flooring to protect the wood, but to save money, I just painted the plywood. I temporarily supported the coop on jacks, and our current flock took a liking to the setup for the shade.

To make the coop mobile, I needed wheels. I found a local lawnmower repairman, who sold me four large lawnmower wheels for $20. I used lag bolts as axles, screwing the bolts into the runners and pallets.

I bough 2x4s from the local Amish lumberyard, and spent an afternoon framing the coop. Before it got too heavy to lift, I checked underneath for stray chickens, and removed the jacks. So far, I can still easily push the coop around. Maggie is a little worried that the wheels may not support the weight, but I think it will work for now and give me some time to find heavier duty wheels. Next step is plywood for the sides and roof. Baby chicks are apparently scarce this year, so the new coop may not see broilers until next year. Maggie did buy 16 new pullet chicks for eggs, so the mobile coop may serve as a temporary shelter for the young birds until they are big enough to not get picked on by the main flock.