ElDirector's Casa de Pollo

[eldirector]

I've been trying to convince LaDirectora that we need chickens (actually, the eggs, but the chickens come first) for a while. My sister is moving this month, and cannot take her mini-flock with her. So, we are inheriting 3 laying hens (the 2 calling birds must be next year).

Now, we need a place for them to stay. Enter "Casa de Pollo", or more formally known as the Chicken Pall-ace/ets. My over-built coop made from 6 shipping pallets. I snapped a few pics during construction, and thought I would share.

This coop is approx. 36" 42" in footprint, and about 6' tall at the highest point (front roof overhang). Probably too tall, but I think it looks fine. It was built on the cheap (pun intended), as I was not going to spend a lot on free chickens. This is where my pack-rat nature helped.

Supplies and rough costs:
6 pallets - FREE
1/2 sheet of 3/4" plywood - also free-ish from my cut-off stash
Hinges/clasps - nice brass ones - $10 or so
Roofing - some sort of asphalt composite - $15
Clean-out tray - $15
Screws and nails - free-ish from my stash
Paint - free-ish, left over from painting the shed this spring
Total cost = $40, plus I'll need to restock on screws/nails at some point

Step 1 - PALLETS
I've been sketching plans for a coop since we learned we were getting the birds. My wife saw a pallet coop on Pinterest, and asked I could build it. Sure! Why not? After some CraigsListing, I found a dealership on the south side of Indy giving away LARGE pallets (42" wide, and 6" feet long) for FREE. SCORE!!!!! We were heading south to see family that night anyway, so I took the trailer and grabbed 6 pallets. Turns out, that was nearly perfect. We ended up with this:

Step 2 - Disassemble pallets
No pics. But, a SawzAll with a metal blade makes short work of cutting the nails. Slip the blade between the boards, and cut them flush.

Step 3 - Frame and Floor
Cut the 2x4 pallet frames to length, and nail together. Measure and cut a section of 3/4" plywood for the floor. Nail it down.

Step 4 - Enclose walls with pallet slats
The slats are not exactly straight in ANY dimension. There are "ventilation" gaps all over. I may have to do something about that come winter. For summer... PERFECT. Also, a pneumatic brad nail gun is AWESOME for this. Cut, fit, bang, bang, bang, done.

Step 5 - Made some doors and windows.
I framed out the door, a little window, and then a LARGE side door for clean-out. Also built and hung the nest boxes, with a lift-up door for eggs.

Step 6 - Roof and Paint
I was just going to spray it with tinted sealer, but my wife wanted it painted. So.... knock yourself out, honey! Primed in an hour or so, and then she painted it in a couple more hours over 2 days. This pic also shows the roof framing, made from some left over 5/4" deck boards.

Step 7 - Finished and relocated
Attached the roofing material. I had cut the boards to the same size the the roofing, so didn't need to trim it (seemed easier). This this was HEAVY, and took some effort to get onto our garden trailer to move from the garage around to its new home. Say "hi" to LaDirectora, as she provides relocation services.

FINISHED!!!!!
Coop in its new home.

Still to do:
- Finish the run
- build a 1/2" hole hardware cloth fence across the front. Gate is already done.

What I would have done different:
- Better measurements! Thankfully, I had plenty of material, and still have some left over.
- Grab 7 or 8 pallets. That would have reduced the need for some other material that I happened to have (like the plywood).
- probably didn't need to be this large. It is HEAVY.

So, there it is ! Just waiting on chickens.

EDIT: Fixed the &@&$&@## images. Sorry about that.

 

[Birds Away]

I've been trying to convince LaDirectora that we need chickens (actually, the eggs, but the chickens come first)

Finally, someone answered the age old question.

 

[SkinNFluff]

I've been trying to convince LaDirectora that we need chickens (actually, the eggs, but the chickens come first) for a while. My sister is moving this month, and cannot take her mini-flock with her. So, we are inheriting 3 laying hens (the 2 calling birds must be next year).

Now, we need a place for them to stay. Enter "Casa de Pollo", or more formally known as the Chicken Pall-ace/ets. My over-built coop made from 6 shipping pallets. I snapped a few pics during construction, and thought I would share.

This coop is approx. 36" 42" in footprint, and about 6' tall at the highest point (front roof overhang). Probably too tall, but I think it looks fine. It was built on the cheap (pun intended), as I was not going to spend a lot on free chickens. This is where my pack-rat nature helped.

Supplies and rough costs:
6 pallets - FREE
1/2 sheet of 3/4" plywood - also free-ish from my cut-off stash
Hinges/clasps - nice brass ones - $10 or so
Roofing - some sort of asphalt composite - $15
Clean-out tray - $15
Screws and nails - free-ish from my stash
Paint - free-ish, left over from painting the shed this spring
Total cost = $40, plus I'll need to restock on screws/nails at some point

Step 1 - PALLETS
I've been sketching plans for a coop since we learned we were getting the birds. My wife saw a pallet coop on Pinterest, and asked I could build it. Sure! Why not? After some CraigsListing, I found a dealership on the south side of Indy giving away LARGE pallets (42" wide, and 6" feet long) for FREE. SCORE!!!!! We were heading south to see family that night anyway, so I took the trailer and grabbed 6 pallets. Turns out, that was nearly perfect. We ended up with this:

Step 2 - Disassemble pallets
No pics. But, a SawzAll with a metal blade makes short work of cutting the nails. Slip the blade between the boards, and cut them flush.

Step 3 - Frame and Floor
Cut the 2x4 pallet frames to length, and nail together. Measure and cut a section of 3/4" plywood for the floor. Nail it down.

Step 4 - Enclose walls with pallet slats
The slats are not exactly straight in ANY dimension. There are "ventilation" gaps all over. I may have to do something about that come winter. For summer... PERFECT. Also, a pneumatic brad nail gun is AWESOME for this. Cut, fit, bang, bang, bang, done.

Step 5 - Made some doors and windows.
I framed out the door, a little window, and then a LARGE side door for clean-out. Also built and hung the nest boxes, with a lift-up door for eggs.

Step 6 - Roof and Paint
I was just going to spray it with tinted sealer, but my wife wanted it painted. So.... knock yourself out, honey! Primed in an hour or so, and then she painted it in a couple more hours over 2 days. This pic also shows the roof framing, made from some left over 5/4" deck boards.

Step 7 - Finished and relocated
Attached the roofing material. I had cut the boards to the same size the the roofing, so didn't need to trim it (seemed easier). This this was HEAVY, and took some effort to get onto our garden trailer to move from the garage around to its new home. Say "hi" to LaDirectora, as she provides relocation services.

FINISHED!!!!!
Coop in its new home.

Still to do:
- Finish the run
- build a 1/2" hole hardware cloth fence across the front. Gate is already done.

What I would have done different:
- Better measurements! Thankfully, I had plenty of material, and still have some left over.
- Grab 7 or 8 pallets. That would have reduced the need for some other material that I happened to have (like the plywood).
- probably didn't need to be this large. It is HEAVY.

So, there it is ! Just waiting on chickens.

Congrats on your new flock. please fix the links so we can see pics.

Finally, someone answered the age old question.

Chickens evolved after or from dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were laying eggs long before before chickens even existed. So knowing these 2 facts I can honestly say that there is no way that the chicken came first.

Evolutionary History of the Chicken (pigeon, and other birds) + Domestication

Now when it comes to the chickens here on my farm it is commonly known that the rooster comes first.

 

[Cpt Caveman]

God created all animals so the chicken came first.
Nice coop. You know its a coupe because it has two doors. If it had 4 doors it would be a chicken sedan. :^|

 

[jblomenberg16]

Very well done on the coop! BTW...its 4 calling birds, 3 French Hens, 2 turtle doves, and a....



So you need to go find you some turtle doves now if you can't find 4 calling birds.

 

[eldirector]

Nice coop. You know its a coupe because it has two doors. If it had 4 doors it would be a chicken sedan. :^|

BAHAHAHAhahaha...

Very well done on the coop! BTW...its 4 calling birds, 3 French Hens, 2 turtle doves, and a....

So you need to go find you some turtle doves now if you can't find 4 calling birds.

1) At least one hen isn't French. She refuses to surrender her eggs (broody). Of course, all their yolks are kinda yella...
2) Got the Turtle Doves covered. Wife has some of these in the freezer (she thinks they are hidden):

Yeah, not really "turtle", but I don't mind one bit.

Coop Update:
- Installed the hardware cloth under the coop for one "fence" section.
- built the fence frame that goes between the coop and gate into their run
- LaDirectora is currently painting the gate and fence frame

To Do:
- Install the fence section
- come up with some sort of critter-proof latch for the gate
- run the hardware cloth around the lower 3 feet of their run (currently all shadow box privacy fence 6' tall).
- drop a board on the front for a ramp
- install chickens

 

[Leadeye]

Keep an eye out for the masked chicken bandits.

 

[Dave A]

Señor, that coop looks a little over dressed for Brownsburg but it would fix in well in western Hancock Co. I'll trade you my neighbor's PITA voyeuristic rooster for the coop.
View attachment 38988

 

[catfishjn69]

not sure if you are in town or not but my neighbor is on the town council and a year ago they had a big to do over a lady keeping chickens inside the city limits. she claimed they were therapeutic
catfish

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

not sure if you are in town or not but my neighbor is on the town council and a year ago they had a big to do over a lady keeping chickens inside the city limits. she claimed they were therapeutic
catfish

I don't know if keeping chickens is therapeutic, but eating my wife's fried chicken with her home-made gravy is absolutely therapeutic.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Our neighbor has a coop, but they have it completely surrounded top and sides with mesh fence. You might consider that if you think coyotes or other predators might be a problem.

It surrounds it wide enough to allow them to come out and roam a bit

 

[eldirector]

Good call. Our coop sits between the woodshed and garden shed. There is a 20' x 8' run for the birds. Shed makes one wall, 6' privacy fence make 2 walls (one at the end, and the other along the woodshed). I put a short wire fence and gate next to the coop. The privacy fence also has 3' tall 1/4" hole hardware cloth nailed on the inside to keep critters out.

It isn't covered. So, if the hawks become an issue, I'll need some sort of mesh tarp.

They will spend most of their time in the run. Only occasionally let loose in the back yard when we are around.

 

[Lee11b]

that's quite the McGuyvering, ElDirector!!!! you get 2 for reducing and recycling!!!!

 

[foxxie02]

once hawks notice it get ready for visits... our birds were like an alarm going off every time a hawk was near. one tried to scoop one up but it was bigger than the hawk and pecked back at it and hawk dropped it.. probably why the netting/wire around the coop was handy.

 

[eldirector]

We have TONS of Cooper's Hawks around here. No issues..... yet. I did put a tarp above about 1/3 of their run. The open area is down to about 6' square. I don't know if a hawk can easily get in through that.

I DO let the girls run the yard now and then. They high-tail it back to the run when a hawk goes by. Kinda funny. SQUAWK! Zooom...

Now, I DID have something in the run the other night. The girls were locked up safe in the coop, but something drug a couple of their left-over food items (carrots, bread, and such) OUT of the coop, into the middle of the yard. I am guessing raccoon.

 

[BigMatt]

We have a good sized coop in the middle of a fenced in area. We let the chickens out at dawn and close back up at dusk. We haven't had a problem yet with hawks, but I am sure it is only a matter of time.