A coop named Serendipity

I have dropped off the blogosphere for at least a month now - but I haven't been sitting on my tookus! The recent rain has actually brought me inside today, and given the opportunity for an update. I've had some even newer chooks arrive this week, so the need for accommodation has intensified. Will update on the new chooks soon - when the weather clears.

Anyhoo, we had some pallets sitting around the place which needed remodelling. The pieces fitted so well together that we decided to call the coop, "Serendipity". Everything came together as if it was meant to be.

Enough talking, more pictures!! And there are a LOT of pictures.

Firstly, I had to remove various nails and staples from the pallets to clean them up. These sides actually came like this and were about to be binned by a local business. They were happy for us to take them away.

Now put two sides together.

Then make a box. Dead easy!

Put two pallets on top of the box, that are equal dimensions but constructed with much thinner wood. These are upside down at the moment, but for good reason.

Take whatever hinges are on hand - I had on old one that went in the middle and two newer, flimpsy, indoor hinges.

Three hinges in total, and being a one person job these hinges are extremely handy for the following steps.

Step one to making a dead easy gable, is fold sides together like a book.

Raise slowly.

Then whulla! Dead easy gable.

One of the reasons this coop is named serendipity, is when I put the original box together, the two short sides were taller than the longer sides. What to do? Well, use the extra lip to hold the gable in place, then screw in place. Making a recycled project had never been so simple. It had to be Serendipity!

Of course I secured the gable with a block in the middle and filled in with plywood.

Here is where I'm up to at the moment.

I really like the colours. That's Mission Green in the gable, and Terracotta for the base. It looks like I spent hours painstakingly putting it together, but in reality it only took 3 days - a couple of hours a day. The beauty of pallets hey!

This is only half the project though. Imagine this section sitting on top of another box. The two sides that have the netting at present will be taken out, and doors put in their place. I should be able to stand up in this one. I'm going to build a run which attaches to the coop also - extending the gable roof. For the moment though, once the roof is on it will hold some chickens securely

If you're wondering where to find these kinds of pallets, ask at your local tyre place or mower shop. They aren't like your normal brick pallets as these ones are often used for shipping equipment and thrown out after being unpacked. All the pallets used in this coop have been sitting on our verandah for weeks, until I formulated a plan. You may have to do this also because every packing pallet is different.

Bear in mind though, pallet wood isn't like hardwood and shouldn't be left on the ground for extended periods. It won't last long in moist conditions. Either build on top of hardwood legs, or keep off the ground some other way. Our half coop is going to be living on the verandah until I can get the hardwood base built on site.

But that's another story....