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Backyard urban chicken coop ark tractor printed plans
Enjoy Hours of Fun & Get FREE Eggs Out of the Deal. Raise Your Backyard Chickens in a Handbuilt Catawba ConvertiCoops Chicken Coop from My Simple & Now Improved $19.99 Printed Plans.
I intentionally left the door open on my Catawba ConvertiCoop the other day. I wanted to see what would happen.
My three daughters came down from the rabbit cages into an area we call "the glade". It's a patch of grass surrounded by trees which usually stays well shaded during the summer months. That's where we keep the mobile chicken coop when the temperatures get above 90 degrees. "Daddy!" they chimed, "You let the chickens out. Can we chase them back into the coop?"
I can't imagine anything more entertaining than watching your kids run around at full steam... birds running, feathers flying, trying to chase chickens back into a coop. They might as well be trying to herd cats. Eventually the kids did learn how to gently coerce the birds back into their ConvertiCoop.
I could have told the kids a little later that evening the birds would have gone back into the chicken ark naturally to roost. But what fun would that have been?
The decision to get chickens was an easy one to make. They're inexpensive, relatively self-sustainable, and really fun to watch. My question was:
How can I keep chickens in the city?
People think chickens are smelly, messy, and loud beasts. This could not be further from the truth. Because I live in a town with livestock ordinances, I had to find a way to convince my neighbors that chickens weren't such a bad thing. That's why I designed the Catawba ConvertiCoop to be the Cadillac of chicken coop plans.
Owning a Catawba ConvertiCoop addresses two of the three major objections your neighbors will have against chickens. Because it is highly mobile, the smell and mess are a non-issue. The chickens will not stay in one location long enough to foul the area. A firm "NO ROOSTERS" policy will eliminate the third objection.
The British have taken chickens arks as they call them, to an art form. But with the US dollar weak against the Euro, who can afford to pay nearly $1,000.00 for a place to keep their chickens? The Catawba ConvertiCoop chicken coop can be built for significantly less money, and still maintain the look of a piece of fine cabinetry built with relatively few woodworking tools.
It's possible that you may have already seen one of those amazing European chicken arks and thought, "I wonder how I could build a portable chicken coop that looks that nice?" My professionally printed booklet will show you how.
A plan so simple, my wife could do it.
Really... My wife is an amazing woman. She home schools our three daughters, keeps a neat and tidy house, and ensures that everyone has clean clothes. She's a good cook and can follow a recipe to the letter. But she's no carpenter or cabinet maker. Neither am I. What she can do well is follow instructions. You don't have to own a "New Yankee Workshop" to build a Catawba ConvertiCoop that will stop pedestrians and passers-by in their tracks.
Just be prepared to answer a lot of questions about your chickens and where you got your coop. People will be amazed that you built it yourself.
Step 1: Price out wood and fixtures at your local home improvement center using my Catawba ConvertiCoop materials checklist
Save money by price shopping at least two stores against each other. Both Lowe's and Home Depot offer a Price Match + 10% Off Guarantee. My booklet outlines how to do this successfully.
Step 2: Cut your wood using my easy to follow directions.
I've done all the math for you! I've included a cutlist and an illustration showing how many pieces of your new Catawba ConvertiCoop you should be able to liberate from a piece of dimensional lumber.
Step 3: Assemble your Catawba ConvertiCoop using engaging illustrations and directions.
If you can put together a model kit, you can build a Catawba ConvertiCoop using simple powertools. Unlike other How-To packages, my building illustrations are rendered in a 3D modeling program so the lighting is always right. The most complex tool in the instruction booklet is a router, and you don't even really need that. You won't need an 18" rabbited rotary dado planer/sander/grinder... no matter how much Norm Abrams or Bob Villa tries to convince you otherwise.
Step 4: Relax and enjoy your chickens
Imagine having these spunky little charismatic creatures in your backyard. Sometimes they look like little dinosaurs as they streak across the yard. And people love em. My house is right beside the city park and pool. Mothers and children come into our backyard all the time to see the garden, the rabbits, and especially the chickens. All the time I'm asked, "Where did you get your chicken coop? It's amazing."
They're always surprised when I tell them I how easy it was to build it myself using regular tools and dimensional lumber from a home improvement warehouse.
Mitzi and I get asked about our homestead so much that we've put together a 3 fold brochure that details what we're doing and how we did it. I've had over 20 people ask me to build a Catawba ConvertiCoop for them. Even more want to know if they can come out with a tape measure and measure my chicken ark so they can build their own. Folks, these are not people I know. These are people, on the street, walking past my house as I'm watering the tomato plants.
And to be honest, I have ulterior motives in selling these plans.
As of September 1st I found myself among the ranks of the unempl... er, self employed. God has truly blessed our family in that we are debt free (Romans 13:8). This means that our family of five can get along on an amount of money that most people would consider significantly below the low-income level. Yes, it means giving up a few things, but it now allows me to be much more actively involved with my children's education and day-to-day operations of my family and household. That's kind of a cool thing that I missed out on when working a regular 9-5 position.
The sale of these plans also has allowed me to stay at home and work on my next project called Godly Gardens. I've gotten approval and support from several people about it, including square food gardening expert Mel Bartholomew and professors from the Duke University Divinity School. Your purchase allows me a little while longer to work on this community outreach that breaches the $3,000.00 nutrition gap between food stamps and a nutrient rich, organic diet. Thank you!
If you are not satisfied with your plans, let me know and I'll refund your purchase price with no questions asked. Well, that's not entirely true. I'll ask you what I could do to make the packet better so that others don't have the same experience you did. And hey, even if you enjoy the booklet and the notoriety that comes from having a beautiful chicken coop, I'd STILL like to hear from you with suggestions.
I got a call from my dad last night.
"Bubba," he said. (He calls me Bubba when he's feeling chummy.) "Bubba, I read your 3 fold brochure that you wrote about your urban homestead. I have to tell you that I think it is well written and entertaining."
"Well thanks dad. I try to write like I speak." I replied.
"Son, have you considered that maybe there are people out there who would want to know what steps you had to take in order to get your chickens permitted?"Actually, I hadn't considered it at all, until then. So if you ever see my dad, feel free to thank him for inspiring the idea for a...
"Keeping The Letter of the Law." or...
How Two City Slickers Got Chickens Inside the Town Limits
Urban Chicken eBook Included with your purchase, I outline the steps that Mitzi and I had to take in order to get everyone to agree that chickens were a cool thing. Included are suggestions for:
* Checking your local municipality's codes and regulations regarding livestock
* Using Google Maps and Google Earth to ensure you don't do one lick of work more than you have to
* Relating to your neighbors and understanding their questions and objections to your urban poultry
* Creating marketing materials to leave with them
* Creating the necessary forms and sign offs
* Dealing with local level bureaucrats, and why they do what they do
Hi, nice looking coop. Do you put any laying/nest boxes inside? Also, it looks like it might be hard to access the center part or the unit for collecting the eggs being that it's 8 feet long?
Do you close the top part at night? And two nests are enough? Do you face it toward the south for light for laying, or since it is so open, does it matter?
I keep the top closed at all times unless I am cleaning it out. The side is only off in the pictures so that passersby can see the interior. Two nests are a gracious plenty unless one of your birds goes broody... that is, she wants to sit on a clutch of eggs.
How many chickens would this hold?
This is a comfortable 4-6 chicken coop. It will accommodate up to 8 chickens based on the 4 sq feet per bird formula. That's a 2'x2' area. Measure that out with your hands and you'll see that their space requirements are minimal.
Hey, Your design looks very interesting. Just curious what do you suggest to use with your design as a feeder? Also what are the general overall dimensions to get an idea of the size of your design, and how many chickens can you keep in your design?
I use a standard 3.5 gallon hanging feeder from Tractor Supply with this unit. The footprint is approx 4' x 8' and stands approx 42" tall.
Are the plans easily modified to make the coop larger?
Of course, if by larger you mean longer. You can purchase any length of wood you desire with little modification. If you want it wider than 4 feet well... that will require extensive modification and the recalculation of practically every dimension.
This coop will accommodate up to 8 birds based on the 4 sq feet per bird formula. Each additional foot in length that you increase the coop will allow space for another bird.
How do you keep them warm in the winter with the exposed bottom half of the coop?
Even though chickens are hardy and are wrapped in a fully adjustable down sleeping bag, I would not recommend this type of coop for locations with bitterly cold winters. Their waddles and combs get frostbitten. You'd want to build an completely enclosed "barnstyle" coop for those environments.
For less extreme climates, I recommend attaching a piece of 2'x8' plywood to each open side to create a more cozy atmosphere inside the coop
Completely enclosing the lower run (including the floor) in a smaller mesh will do the trick. You could use a 1x2 welded/galvanized mesh on the sides. This is the same kind of wire mesh I make my rabbit cages from and can be purchased by the roll from Bass Rabbit Supplies (WW2 1/2) or Klubertanz.
Personally, I like the vinyl coated wire. It doesn't chew up my hands when I'm working with it like the uncoated stuff does.
Do chickens make good pets for children?
Absolutely! But I would recommend that you take the time to explain to your children that their chickens are at the the very bottom of the large animal food chain. Emotionally prepare them for the day when "something accidentally happens" to Clucky or Cody.
Death is a natural part of the life cycle. Given a long enough timeframe, everyone's chances of survival drop to 0%. Our part in life is to make the best of the time we have available, and having pet chickens enriches that time for my family and I.
I am interested in what the approximate cost of the chicken coop after building it would be. I am researching raising chickens for their eggs and find this movable chicken coop would fit in with helping to fertilize my backyard lawn.
Approx materials costs, due to the fact that this is a wood structure, is between $175 - $225 depending on your locale... and your cost-conscious shoppability. I have no qualms in playing the Big Box home improvement centers against each other with their Cost + 10% Guarantees.
Do the plans include how to attach wheels to it?
Wheels are outside the scope of this plan. I have an idea for wheels, but it would require the services of a welder to create the frame.
After purchasing a set of Catawba ConvertiCoop plans, I'm going to throw in an additional piece of information FREE OF CHARGE. Knowledge is power. I'm going to GIVE you the 3D file that I used to create the illustrations in the book.
Of course, without a program to view the file, it's worthless. That's why I'm going to include Sketchup Viewer as well in your packet. In Sketchup Viewer, you can review all the steps required to built a coop just by clicking on the tabs at the top of the screen. You can also fly around the coop and zoom in on parts that you really want to see... all in Real Time on your computer.
Chickens Inside the City Limits
BONUS: I'm also going to include the marketing forms I used with my neighbors in MS Word Doc file format and the Petition I used with the town permitting office... That way you don't have to reinvent the wheel. You can just make changes to my documents as you see fit, print them off, and be well on your way to the fun of having chickens in your own back yard.
So to Recap What You'll Receive When You Purchase My Catawba ConvertiCoop Plans
1. You'll get a professionally printed and bound booklet with complete illustrations of assembling your own Catawba ConvertiCoop. My plans are professionally printed on 50lb white opaque paper with full color covers printed on 10lb glossy cover stock with full bleeds.
2. You'll get my original Google Sketchup 3D file with guided assembly tour tabs
3. You'll get Google Sketchup Viewer for PC or Mac OSX
4. You'll get "Keeping the Letter of the Law" oulining the steps and actions Mitzi and I took to have the only approved/permitted chickens inside Wake Forest
5. You'll get an MS Word document of the marketing materials I submitted to my neighbors
6. You'll get an MS Word document of the petition we turned into the permitting office
7. You'll get a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee or your money back.
