Wood-fired!

Chook carpentry

Like many makers of ‘fine furniture’ I find it a challenge to build low-precision structures. Hacking out a garden bench with an adze is one thing but as soon as a joint is involved I can’t resist finely paring the shoulders perfectly square or tuning the tenons to a suction fit. Even when working with salvaged pallet timber I find myself matching the grain and picking the best side to show.

This project was a ‘quick’ job to build a temporary chook shelter. We are expanding our flock from 4 to 7 and wanted to accommodate the new young ones¹ separately until they are accepted by the existing chooks. It needed to be waterproof (in case it ever rains here again) and rat-proof. The new chooks have a separate run during the day so the pen only needs to house them overnight.

I had one pallet for material and a roll of chook wire. Breaking down the pallet proved to be the biggest task. 4″ nails that have been embedded in hardwood for a decade or two are very stubborn. Most snapped rather than release their purchase. Half way through I refactored the plan to avoid more nail pulling and left several boards attached to one runner. I sawed them to size in situ to create the floor of the hutch and filled the gaps between the boards with scraps. Square drive steel screws were used to join the remaining hardwood runners to create the frame of the hutch. Pallet boards covered the sides leaving a gap for the door.

The roof is a hinged lid (to aid cleaning) built of hardwood frame and a small sheet of corrugated iron left over from building the main chook house.

Almost all the hutch was made from the wood of one pallet. Only a few broken chunks were left over. Light pine offcuts were used to build a frame for the run which was covered with chook wire (including the floor).

A simple frame door covered in chook wire was hinged at one end.

This is the permanent chook house that the ‘Roadies’ aspire to.

1. the new three are Rhode Is reds - collectively known as the ‘roadies’, the dark coloured one is called ‘tarmac’. The rest are yet to be named. [↩]

4 comments May 2nd, 2009