New to the chickens. Have six chicks coming. Someone offered me a truckbed on wheels with a tongue to pull it. He said I could build a coop over it and the roost and nest inside. What do you folks think. I thought about the coop building, but I am not much of a carpenter and this is my wifes hobby. Any opinions appreciated.
Hen house in a truck bed
When I was at Tractor Supply I was browsing a book on coop building and one that caught my eye was one built on a flat bed trailer. I liked the idea of being able to move it and am now re-thinking my original coop plan. I have an old trailer we have used for hauling stuff over the years but has been road retired. I've been toying with the idea of using it for a hen house.
~Julie =0)
I've seen it done. Why not? My only worry would be excessive heat in the summer, so I'd put it in a shady spot.
I have a chicken that likes to lay her eggs in the bed of my pick up. Maybe chickens just like trucks!
Haaaaahahaha!!! ROTFLMBO!!!!!!!! I always heard that Chicks have a thing for Trucks!!!!!!!!
Sounds like a great idea to me. It gets them up off the ground in wet weather, provides protection from vermin, etc. Do be sure to have at least part of it totally inclosed with a small door that allows easy access to gathering eggs and cleaning as well as shelter from the elements.
Well,............. people live in mobile homes............why not chickens ? Great idea.
Thanks for all your comments. Was looking to see if I got any negatives. The heat was one thing I was concerned about. I am trying to think of ways to build it so that I can raise the sides and allow the air to circulate in the hot Texas summer. Any ideas on what size yard should be attached for a half dozen chickens? I need to check where my chicks are coming from. From Eufaula's comments, there seem to be some strange chickens in Georgia. I appreciate the responses from you Virginia folks. That was my home state.
I want to see a photo when you get that up and running! haha Seriously, I think it will be cool. Maybe you could find an old truck topper somewhere like Freecycle and you would have a roof over it with windows! You might want to drill some holes in the bottom to ventilate a little or possibly drainage if it takes on water, but I gotta know.......is it a Ford truckbed??? They always say "Ford has a better idea!"
Strange!!!! Who's Strange????LOL!!!
Hey Y'all, The Truck bed Idea sounds pretty good!!!
I had an idea, and thought I'd run it by you! Here is the Frame for My 10 X20, Tent! I removed the side legs. Now if I cross over the top and wire together panels of chicken wire,then add the little trailor with a small "House " added to it, Wouldnt this do for a temporary "Tractor"!!
Eufaula, sounds like a good idea to me. Wish I had that frame. When you are moving it around, you might want to keep it out of sight of the truck or I am not sure that regular chicken wire would hold those Georgia chickens in.
Eufaula..Great pic..mille fluer?
mc4tx,
All I know is you HAVE to post a picture of it once it's done!! With the tongue on it, you can hook it up to a tractor or truck and put it anywhere you want it. It's the ultimate chicken tractor!! If you're worried about the heat, and in TX I understand why, paint it WHITE so that it reflects the sun. In Michigan, white cars stay cool enough to touch, when setting in direct sunlight. It really cuts down on the heat absorption.
...I can't wait to see what you do with it! It'll be very cool!! ~:>
Glenda
You MUST post pics, once completed. Great idea and I love nothing better than a good recyling idea. I agree about the heat maybe being a problem (esp. here in TX), so be sure to make you some air holes for ventillation. If you have left over lumber from anything, you could easily build a frame to fit to the truck bed; chicken wire for sides, maybe a light colored tin roof (to reflect heat) and you will be good to go. I can already see it! ☺ Wish I had your truck bed - - - lol. Or, if you just wanted to enclose it as is........simply attach your wire to the truck bed, add a small door for access and wah-lah you are done! As for the run for your chicks............I would give them a good 3'x6' if possible. That will give them a bit of space outside of their new coop to stretch their little legs - - - how old did you say your chicks were? Can I ask where you purchased six from? I'm having a hard time finding anywhere without a minimum of 25, other than local stores.
Eufala - - - great idea for a chicken tractor! Post some pics once completed, would you? Would love to see it.
Yep! Tamatik, OEG Mille fleur! He's "Pop Corn",and she's "Pickles"! I only have the one pair, but they have been talking real nice to each other , here lately and I think we just might get a family this Spring!!!!!
Thanks for all the good ideas folks. I will post pictures when I finish it. As I stated earlier, my carpentry skills possibly leave a little to be desired, but you folks have me inspired with your encouragement. I have seen some of TexasGardenMom's other post and I might be ashamed to let her see the final result, but the rest of you may look. Maybe I should just pull it on my next trip to Brownwood and let her finish it out for us. Do you think 24' corrugated tin will do for the yard on the sides to discourage the coons, dogs, foxes and coyotes we have here? Glenda, the bed is white, so that is encouraging. The fellow I am getting it from is a regular at the Canton, Tx flea market and is going to get me some nest to put across the front of it, so they will not be sticking out the side. I am thinking a license plate would be appropiate with something like - Have poultry/will travel, or the Rolling Rooster Ranch. Sounds like those Georgia chickens, huh. Seriously, I do appreciate you ideas and responses. Any thoughts are appreciated. Oh, as to where I am getting them from. The chicks are coming from a feed store in town. He has them running loose in a pen and you just pick you chick. What made me want to get them? I went to visit some folks and they had previously had some wyandottes. She went on and on about them and showed me some pictures of them. (sadly, the coyotes had taken a liking to them one day) She had a picture of her chicken wedding and had the hen standing up next to the rooster (he was named George). She had a necklace on and a bow in her comb and George, I think, had on a bowtie. George was beautiful, I mean handsome. I asked her what he was and she told me that he was a wyandotte. I looked them up on the internet. I think he was a buff, but I didn't know that until later. The one's that I am getting tomorrow are the gold laced. I hope he turns out to be half as handsome a George. They only had silverlaced girls, but he ordered me 5 gold laced girls and 1 fellow to keep them company.
This message was edited Mar 12, 2007 10:09 PM
Mc4tx, A Chicken WEDDING!!!! Now I know my Georgia Chickens are strange,....but A Chicken Wedding?????
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!! Did they have a Wedding Singer too? LOL!!! Gotta luv it!!
As for your truck Bed Chicken Tractor, You have a really good thing going there!!! It should be plenty heavy duty to protect against predators!! The only thing I worry about is that if you corral them in, Since they are Texas Chickens, they will think they are at a tractor pull!!! You might lose Chickens Tractor and all! LOL! Oh well maybe they will pull it right on across here to Georgia! We could use a good Chicken Tractor!
mc4tx ~
Please, please let me take a peek at your finished product...............I am sure that your carpentry skills will be fabulous and the chickens will love it. :) Now, about that tin. Yes, I think 24" corrugated tin will work fine. I would however, dig a trench and bury a little of it to discourage any of our wonderful digging animals. Believe me, you will be amazed at what a fox or a skunk will dig under. Darn 'ole animals. RRRRRrrrrr. I must say that I love the Rolling Rooster Ranch, you need a sign with that one it to tack on the front. What a hoot. Are you serious about this Chicken wedding? Tell us more. A chicken wedding? No wonder people think we are all a bit "out there", us Texans. lol (jk) Eufala, I can just see the tractor pulling event going on at mc4tx's house now! LOLOLOL He'll make the first page of the local newspaper with that one - - - keep us informed on your progress!
Belinda
Well, unfortunately my rooster did not come in today as the feed store told me it would. They got some of the girls in, but not rooster. So, I didn't take any until I could get them all at the same time. The thought of being the only rooster in a house full of hens was too troubling for me. I have hard enough time being brave enough to crow around the one chick I do have here, so I will wait for back up. Yes, I was serious about the chicken wedding, and if the lady will let me take a picture of her picture, I will try to post it for you to see. I might say that in Texas we have honorable chickens. And as for the tractor pull, well a Texas rooster could take one of those little foreign made jobs with the funny names anytime and still have plenty to crow about when he finished. Belinda, we can always blame it on the heat.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHHA!
You are one funny bunch down there! :)
I love the idea of a chicken wedding. I teach third grade. I can only imagine what they would do with the concept :)
Not taking chicks, when you could? Amazing personal restraint there mc!
I think you should get one of those car spraypainter types to spraypaint " Warning: Chicks on the Go!" on the side.
Hey you all remember in Raleigh,NC we have the Chicken Man.
One of the chickens sits on his steering wheel while hes in the store.
You can google Chicken Man Raleigh and he should come up.
Lavina
Hey mc4tx,
...Just curious...
Seeing as your chicken house will be in the bed of a truck, I wonder if AAA will come out and change a flat tire, should you get one? Wouldn't you love to see the face of the tow truck driver when he pulls up to change the flat? ~;> That would be priceless!
lolololololol @ all of you!!!!! I am still laughing at your "one lone rooster" comment.......absolutely TOO funny! However, let me tell you that the lone rooster loves every minute of it. I have one roo with 25 hens and he thinks he is some kind of hot stuff now, let me tell you! So see, you deprived that little roo of strutting his stuff in front of all those hot women! LOL How is the truck bed coop coming along? DH & I have building six more smaller coops this week to keep individual breeds seperate from the barnyard specials, I hope to have them finished up by Monday if the weather will hold out for me. Maybe I'll be able to share some pics by then...........maybe. :) I told Roo the little secret of the chicken wedding and he LOVED it - - - suppose to let me know a date! (LOL) More on that later!
Belinda