Easy Tips to Build a Trampoline Chicken Coop DIY
Chickens are always useful, so even if we don't have a regular coop, we can keep them in a trampoline chicken coop. No matter if we are raising them for their eggs or meat, the better the conditions they live in, the better they will provide for us.
A lot of people want to make a chicken coop with their own hands. There are a lot of ways to do that, but one of the most creative ones we’ve come up with is the one involving a trampoline. Building a trampoline chicken run or a trampoline chicken tractor is easy when you have the right tools and some perseverance. So, without further ado, let’s make our chickens a new home!
What we need to think about before starting
It is very stressful for a chicken to find itself squeezed with a lot of other chickens in a small area. Thus, we need to make sure they have enough room. Before we start the construction of our trampoline chicken run, we need to consider a few factors in order to keep our chickens stress-free:
- 1. Space — a single chicken needs around 20 to 30 square feet of space, depending on their particular breed and if we decide to raise them in a closed coop. If we decide to raise them in an open coop, we will need around 80 to 100 square feet.
- 2. Location — the coop needs to be on dry ground, with a lot of sunlight covering it. Make sure that it has enough shade for the chickens.
- 3. Ease of access — we shouldn’t have a hard time getting in to clean the coop regularly and make sure our chickens are doing fine.
Things we'll need
Now that we’ve made sure the chickens are going to be happy, it's time to see what things we’ll need in order to build a chicken coop out of a trampoline. Remember to get:
- 1. An old trampoline. That one was obvious.
- 2. Metal wiring to keep the chickens in.
- 3. Some wood.
- 4. Zinked steel wire.
- 5. A saw.
- 6. A hammer.
- 7. Measuring tape.
- 8. Old nylon socks.
The chicken coop trampoline project
Use the trampoline as an outline of the coop. The trampoline's surface will serve as a roof. Then, use metal wiring to create a fence connecting the trampoline's legs.
Be sure not to make the fence too dense, since the chickens love the feeling of being in vast, open spaces. Cut the nylon socks and sew them together, making a waterproof roof for the chickens.
Afterward, cover the trampoline's surface with nylon. Voila! The chickens are now safe from both the predators and the rain!
Upgrade #1 — see-through rooftop!
If we want to give our chickens some extra sunlight, we can remove the surface of the trampoline and use metal wires to cover the gap. After that, we can put the nylon cover over the wires. Now our chickens will be safe from the rain as well as predators and will be able to enjoy the sunshine. They will enjoy life in their trampoline chicken coop!
Still, we should remove the nylon cover when the rain ends since we don't want to make the trampoline frame chicken coop too sultry.
Upgrade #2 — safety!
Some predators, like foxes, can dig under the fence of our trampoline chicken pen and eat our chicken. Nevertheless, there is a simple way to stop that from happening.
Use wooden boards no longer than 8 inches. Put them 4 inches deep into the ground and create an underground barrier. This will not only keep the predators out of the trampoline chicken coop but also keep the chicken in.
However, make sure to build a small ladder in the coop. Chickens need exercise and movement in order to stay healthy, and they love climbing!
But where should they lay eggs?
Ladders will not be used only for exercise in the coop. Chickens will need them to get to the top of the coop. So all we need now are two longer boards and 6-8 shorter ones.
Make a ladder using them. Dig two small holes in the ground and use them as a base for the ladders. Then, cover the holes using leftover soil.
Once you have completed this, you can start building a small house by simply connecting three wooden boards. Secure the roof with steel wires so that your chickens can be safe from predators.
Now that you have a ladder and a small house for the chickens, all you need to do is make a small opening by the edge of the chicken coop's roof. The opening needs to be big enough for a chicken to squeeze through. Also, put some straw under the house and make sure to leave an opening for you to gather the eggs.
Feeding the chickens
What the trampoline chicken coop needs now is a feeder. To make it, we can cut a water bottle horizontally and make two holes on one side. Put a shoelace through those two holes and tie the bottle to the wires protecting the chicken. The chickens will now know no hunger!
Using a trampoline to upgrade an existing coop
If we have a flower garden and we don't want our chickens to wreak havoc upon it, but still want them to have more space for walking, there’s a solution. And yes, it involves a trampoline.
Make a trampoline coop using the same process we described earlier. You won't be needing a small house on top since you will have one in your existing coop. All you need to do here is place the metal wires on the sides below and above the surface of the trampoline. Then, bury some wooden boards after that to protect your trampoline coop from predators.
Create two openings — one in your old coop and one in your trampoline coop, and connect them. Moreover, make sure to secure the surrounding area using metal wires and buried wooden boards.
You have now created a backyard for your chickens! They will be able to walk under the trampoline, and if you have made the see-through rooftop upgrade, they will enjoy the sunlight as well. What’s more, if they need to eat or lay eggs, they can always return to their old coop. Simple and easy.
My chickens are fighting each other, what should I do?
If you can't put all of your chickens in a single coop without them hurting each other, there is a solution involving a trampoline. Be warned, though — you will need a metal saw.
Cut the trampoline's metal frame into two parts. Face down the part that was going through the middle of the trampoline. It will look like an arc now.
Secure the arc by digging it deep into the ground. Then, use metal wires to fill in the space between the ground and the arc.
You have now successfully created a barrier. Place it in your old coop and your chickens will be safe from each other even though they may damage the arc.
A mobile trampoline chicken coop
This is an interesting idea we came up with since we wanted to feed our chickens with our back lawn grass. But we also didn't want to lose the back lawn.
You will need a pair of wheels in addition to everything you needed so far. The first thing you need to do is to drill four openings on each side of the trampoline's steel or iron frame. Now take a pair of wheels from an old bike you are not using anymore and screw them in.
Now you don't have to move the chicken away from the lawn. You can now simply move your trampoline frame chicken coop.
Not just for chickens and other poultry
So you've read this DIY manual, and you think this is cool. But you don't have any chicken, nor do you intend to start raising them. Luckily for you, everyone can adapt these ideas to create a safe haven for almost any domestic animal, like a dog for instance.
Creating a trampoline dog pen is even easier. We would only have to use the metal wires to protect our dog and keep it inside the pen. However, we ought to make sure to upgrade the pen using the DIY instructions for a see-through rooftop. Dogs need sunlight too.
You would need a bigger trampoline with longer support columns seeing as you are planning to keep a significantly larger animal inside the pen. Think of your dog's comfort as well.
Conclusion
And there you have it, folks. You can find a couple of ideas alongside instructions to turn them into reality. However, give yourself some time to figure out what kind of coop you want. Do you want a new one, or do you want to upgrade the existing one using a trampoline? Above all, you need to make sure that your chickens are healthy and fed.
Don't forget —a trampoline chicken coop is not a good place for chickens to be in during the winter. We must move them to an old-fashioned, brick-and-mortar coop as soon as the temperatures start dropping.
Happy chickens give high-quality eggs and high-quality meat. Therefore, make sure to upgrade your trampoline chicken coop. A see-through rooftop and especially the safety upgrade are definite must-haves. Also, if you liked this article, please share and comment below. We would love to hear your thoughts about these ideas! If you have a trampoline and want other ideas, check our how to repurpose or recycle a trampoline guide.
