I recently had the pleasure to be invited to the Tread Lightly Festival in Tasmania as part of World Environment Day celebrations. The event is hosted by the Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens in Hobart and is an inspiring day where more than 5000 people came out to learn more about living life with a smaller environmental footprint.

It was in the organic/community garden marquee that I came across this simple chicken coop designed and built by the gardens, using recycled materials. Marcus Ragus, the manager of Community Engagement and Learning at the gardens enjoyed the fact that this simple chicken coop sparked the imagination of all who passed by.

Have a look at the photos and the detailing for yet further coop inspiration.



Photo 1: The Tassie coop with tractor annex made from an upturned trampoline cover with some mesh … how simple is that and what a great re-use for the trampoline frame.



Photo 2: The coop showing the small door connecting it with the tractor run. Old lawn mower wheels have been attached to the tractor to enable easy relocation around the garden.



Photo 3: Materials acquired for the coop construction.



Photo 4: Assembling the floor of the coop using pallet timber.



Photo 5: Erecting the walls of the coop.



Photo 6: Fitting the nesting box to the side of the coop.



Photo 7: The completed coop with roof that raises. From a detailing point of view I would probably look at having an opening door on the rear wall so that it is easier to sweep out and access for cleaning. The raised roof is a little bit heavy and makes it near impossible to clean out, a task that needs to be done each week.



Photo 8: Views from behind connecting to run, view looking into nesting box and view looking in from roof.



Photo 9: Looking into coop with door to run and view to nesting box with egg in position.



Photo 10: Roof complete with gutter made from pvc pipe off cut and elbow. Easy.



Photo 11: View of the coop from nesting box side.

Conclusion:

This coop courtesy of Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens Hobart is a great example of how off-cuts and everyday products can be re-used to build a quality, durable and long lasting chicken coop.

Options to stain or paint to match a particular garden theme are really as limited as your imagination. Adjust it to suit your backyards configuration and again don’t be afraid to adapt parts that you think require attention. I’m also told that version two of this particular design is on the drawing boards too … so watch this space. But at the end of the day, this is a solid chicken coop that will provide years of free eggs, green waste recycling and quality manure for healthy soil and even more nutritious vegies.

Get building!