Jane's Backyard Chickens: Chicken Coops

Going Mobile

Chickens on the move!

If it works for your property at all I would highly suggest making your hen house mobile. Stationary hen houses quickly build up a city of vermin that are hard to get rid of. If your flock is small it's a pretty easy thing to do. You can get some hefty wheels at harbor freight for $10 each.

We had to turn the house over to bolt on the wheels.

Chickens hate it when their house is being messed with or heaven forbid laid on it's side. Apparently it was an egg laying emergency since they all filed into this black plasitc bag where I have straw stored.

It was roasting in there but that is where they were happy so we left them in there until the wheels were done.

Once the wheels were in place and inspected by Mona we could move them to the other side of our house where there was going to be a lot of shade for the summer.

The other handy thing to use for your mobile chickens is easily movable fencing with T-stakes and zip ties.
You will need T-stakes and a roll of fencing and one of these, a stake pounder.

And one of these, a stake puller.

I use a 100 foot roll of 6' horse fencing. Pretty easy to roll up and move aorund. I get my zip ties at harbor freight as they are pretty cheap there.

You can either buy a gate or easily make one with a scrap of fencing and some 1 x4 pieces of cedar. You can even just secure the end of the fence with bungie cords and get in and out that way. It all depends on what kind of dogs are around and whether they can break in or not.

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