My latest building project, that I have been working on for several months, is a large multipurpose construction, combining elements of a barn, garage, chicken coop, recessed pantry, and mud room entryway. Actually, the chicken coop was finished about year ago, but was planned to be part of the whole affair. I would like to tell you about all of this, but maybe I’ll start with the chicken coop.
I am currently living in a double-wide manufactured home that was brought to this property over 15 years ago. Lying in the sand when we bought the property about three years ago, were two large A-Frame shaped tongues that had been used to haul the two halves of the house and then just left there. I realized that they would make for a very sturdy framework for a chicken coop, so I stood them up on a simple earthbag foundation and then connected them together with 2X6 wood planks. The exterior was sheathed with recycled metal roofing, making the coop practically impenetrable from varmints. The inside was lined with weathered old raised garden bed wood that had little other use. I filled the voids between these skins with 1 and 1/2 inch styrofoam insulation, and provided some large screened air vents at the apex on both ends. A couple of recycled windows provides daylight.
The chickens love it and spend a lot of time in there, even when they have access to the totally screened in exterior pen. The total cost of this was maybe $150, since most everything was recycled.
Great use of the materials! The coop looks awesome. Its crazy how people can build these types of things. Great job! Thanks for sharing!
Barn/Garage/Chicken Coop/Pantry/Mud Room…
When will you be adding the fold out Corkscrew, can opener, scissors, etc? Will you then paint it red with a white plus sign on the side, and market the structure via Victorinox?
Do you have a photo gallery posted anywhere showing more detail?
Good ideas you have! I will eventually post a whole project page about this at http://www.earthbagbuilding.com
Nice coop for sure but no interview with the tenants I noticed.
The rooster has far too much to say, and early in the morning at that! I think we’re going to eat him.
The screen on my laptop burned out. Still waiting to get it fixed. The best computer shop in town couldn’t repair it. Now it’s being sent to a factory authorized shop.