Chicken coop build, part 1
We have been amazed by how many people want our pastured eggs. Admittedly, our eggs are delicious, however, we were happy to see how many people were looking for eggs just like ours. In order to provide eggs to more families, we realized that it is high time we increase our flock. Our current coop is maxed out….
A new coop!
In order to make a new coop, big enough for all the egg-makers we are envisioning, we needed to start with a solid base. The size coop we were planning would be too big and beefy to move by hand. We knew we wanted to be able to walk into it, and have plenty of room for sleepy roosting chickens at night.
We searched local marketplace ads for quite some time before we found the right trailer to build on. Not looking for fancy, no brakes needed, no sides or tailgate, but with a really stout frame. We were lucky and found one 20 minutes away. The price was right, it had a 6’x12′ wood flatbed and it had a very solid, welded, square tube steel frame.
Because we already see the benefits of rotating the chickens through the orchards and the garden, and we are exclusively growing organic, we had to start with a clean metal frame to assure that no pressure treated wood was used in building the coop.
The first step was to remove the old deck, and then pressure wash the frame thoroughly. Seeing the stripped frame, in good condition, was very promising.
We wanted to weld the leveling stabilizer jacks to the frame, so they hopefully will last a very long time. It just made sense to flip the trailer upside down, to make it easier to work.
We had decided on these scissor jacks, rated at 6,500 lbs each, hoping that they will not only stabilize the coop but be powerful enough to level it when used on uneven terrain. We will use a handheld, battery operated, power drill to quickly and effortlessly crank the jacks.
With all four jacks welded in place, and a little bit of light rust removal, then we applied a coat of Rustoleum.
Then it was time to flip it back on its wheels, before finishing with painting the top side.
We were very happy with the result! Want to know what happens next? So do we! Keep your eyes open for part 2, building the coop onto the frame!
Please feel free to comment or ask questions. We’d love to know what you think! If you comment to this post, we will respond in short order. Please take a moment to subscribe to our email list. Thank you for stopping by!