Want to build/buy/bodge some sort of mini field shelter - any ideas?

[VivaLeBeaver]

Chickens have an eglu cube so they can shelter under this when it rains but I'm getting a few more chickens now and I don't want to be too cramped. So I'm thinking of building/buying a field shelter.

To build I've seen this for inspiration but my DIY skills are crap

www.urban-chickens.com/index.php?/topic/4744-hen-shelter/

Ive been looking at what I can buy, Flytes of Fancy have this

www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/Chicken_Shelter.html

But its expensive.

Seen this on ebay which I like but also ££££

ebay

So then I was thinking what can I convert into a shelter - was thinking maybe a 2nd hand plastic wendy house - but it wouldn't look very nice.

So then I thought how about a coldframe, if I took the polycarb stuff off at one end and left the roof down? Do you think they'd use it or would it be too low down?

www.amazon.co.uk/Gardman-Garden-Care-08895-Wooden/dp/B0017R5JYM

Any other ideas?

Our old one was a modified pallet. Basically the pallet is propped up with two sticks on the front, kind of like a lean too. I'd pannelled the pallet with some wood offcuts and boarded up one side with some more wood offcuts. It worked well for our hens for a good few years.

DH was disgusted as he considers his DIY skills quite good and would do a better job than me. However getting him to do things is quite different. It would be a fantastic job but might not be ready for a year or so. Mine was whacked up one afternoon, materials were already hanging around from when we built their new lodge. So it was a case of saw, hammer and nails. It survived the snow on it too and meant that over winter they had somewhere that was a bit sheltered. But we've downsized our fleet and it all seems a bit cavern like for our 7 banties, so we've dismantled it.

We now have red bricks stacked up like a wall on the back and sides [and a column in the middle] with a piece of that plastic wibbly stuff called coroline, a bit of heavy wood nailed to the front edge and back edge helps weigh it down and then some extra bricks on top to hold it down as well. It is quite sturdy and we have stacked the bricks on the side with some gaps to allow air flow. It's easy to dismantle at a later date too. We put their feeder and water underneath and it's not huge but allows protection from the rain/snow and provides shade in the summer. Again was easy to install and took an afternoon to make up. We did buy the coroline from the builders merchant, think it was a tenner.

field shelter

Pallet idea sounds good, I can get hold of a couple of pallets so worth a go trying to knock something together as it won't cost any money. Thanks.

We also have a shelter cobbled together from pallets & stuff that works well

I'm using a polytunnel for my chooks to eat the grass on my allotment - they're cheap and pretty sturdy.

If it doesn't matter if they escape you can leave it open. I'm using mine closed and with tent pegs to keep them in there.