Another Chicken Coop

I was also able to get another chicken coop made. I call them "Apple Coops" since they use a retired apple orchard box as the base. They are approximately 4 feet in width X 4 feet in depth X 3 feet high. Just under the roof, the top is covered with hardware cloth to keep predators out. One advantage of that is that gives a lot of ventilation. In the winter, I just covered up the hardware cloth with some plywood to keep the cold drafts down.  They are portable with a simple garden cart. The total cost was around $40 and took about 4 hours to build. The cost could be further decreased by using recycled or upcycled materials.  This is Version 2(V2) and the changes to this version are as follows

• Sliding coop door to reduce hinges and overall cost.
• Increased slope of roof so snow does not accumulate as easily

Apple Coop V2 on the garden cart 

Apple Coop V1(left) and Apple Coop V2(right)

Apple Coop V1 has been deployed for over 1 year and has performed well, even though one of Utah's worst winters on record. Apple Coop V3  is in the works and will include a better way to access the freshly laid eggs.  When I build V3, I will document the whole process and get a better bill of material made. I will then do a  post about it.