The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: edessex on February 16, 2013, 02:59:20 pm
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This sort of ties in with another thread on here, but I thought it might be worth asking in a more specific part of the forum as well!
(The other thread is http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=31298.0 (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=31298.0))
I have an old Land Rover van that I could like to convert into a chicken coop. Considering the build type of the vehicle I think it would help with the rodent issue (very sparse interior), would keep them dry and off the ground, and of course there is loads of space!
My concern is... Would it require planning permission? Would it be considered acceptable on agricultural land?
Any pointers would be great!
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As far as I know if it is movable ( still has wheels ) then no planning.
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That's the theory I was working on... It has wheels and rolls freely. But will the council still class it as a vehicle?
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With the price of old landrovers even non runners you might be able to buy a fab chicken palace and Landy be restored by a buyer....
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True, but for the time-being I'd like to coop it... ;)
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We've used an old livestock trailer and various coops lashed together from a calf dehorning crate, dog kennel, fireguards, dog cage and, of course, the inevitable pallets, so a Landy sounds positively luxurious. You'd need to leave the windows open at the top for ventilation - metal or plastic tends to create a lot of condensation.
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As MF. Lots of condensation and ventillation issues. Sell it and buy a proper coop.
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Yes condensation could be a problem. Landies tend to be very damp inside when parked up overnight even without chickens living in them. Also even old series Landies are full of nooks and crannies that will inevitably become full of chicken sh1t. Sell it and build yourself a nice wooden coop with the proceeds would be my opinion. Or why not get an old caravan and strip out the interior.
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I was planning to replace the rear door with a custom jobbie... Entrance hatch and vents, also vents at the front will be open, and could mesh/vent over open windows if needed...
If at the end of the day it doesn't work, I'll change the plan.
But does everyone think it would be acceptable as far as the council is concerned?
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The council will only bother if someone complains. No-one has the budget nowadays to deal with trivia -and that's the way it should be!
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Someone is likely to complain... A bloke wants to buy the land and will report me for whatever he can!
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Someone just along the road from us has done this on the grass verg on the roadside ::) They have even built a run on the back of it :o
gawd knows how they have not been reported
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I don't think you'd have problems with planning permission. We've had the planners round recently to look at our planning application (for the house and outbuildings) and they didn't blink at any of the poultry housing (decent sized chicken house, duck house and full size shed for the geese). We also asked about permission for field shelters in the future for sheep and they said no planning permission was required for movable, agricultural buildings (horses would be different though).
H
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Sell the Landie and buy an old shed from ebay ;) . Easily converted to a hen house, then fix it to 4 small wheels (like sheep feeders). Job done :thumbsup:
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For now the Landy is staying, if possible!
However that does bring me onto another question... I've got a 6ft x 8ft (I think) shed, waiting to be erected and converted to a coop. If its just sat on sleepers (or some other base not requiring building), would it count as a movable animal house? Technically 4 people can pick it up and move it....
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Edessex - i can see this thread is about bending the rules a bit rather than selling the landrover and buying a coop - sounds like your complainer is getting to you.
I bet there is a proper definition of movable animal house somewhere that would allow you to be more specific but I bet it includes wheels or handles - these could be easily attached to your shed - that way there is no 'technically it can be moved by 4 people' - after all a brick house can technically be moved by 1 person a brick at a time.
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The complainer has irritated me, but the Landy is not staying to irritate him. For now I want to hold onto the Landy, until I am in a position (and have a suitable place) to put it back on the road. With the nature of the vehicle, and the way it is built, using it as a chicken coop will not damage it. It can be jetwashed out during use as well. As for the condensation problem, I think I can resolve that by ply-lining, or using that foil-bubble-wrap insulation stuff.
I would like to erect the shed as a coop in addition to the Landy, but I could do without the hassle and expense of a planning application, especially as the land is not residential.
For now, the Landy Coop idea looks positive. The shed might actually require more effort!
A legal definition of an accepted animal house would be great, but so far I have not found one.
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I actually like the idea of the landy as a chicken coop - conjures up an image of what would have happened anyway in the past. Somewhere i have an old picture of a Moggy traveller car used as a makeshift henhouse.
its not this one but this is fun anyway.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/coops/images/car-chicken-coop.jpg (http://www.backyardchickens.com/coops/images/car-chicken-coop.jpg)
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We bought a cheap 5 x 7 shed on eBay and set the bottom bearers on two lengths of 4" x 2" which stick out the front and back by about 40cm - the front edges are shaped like toboggan runners to reduce drag. Creosoted everything before assembly. Put a of big eye bolt through each of them and can drag it around the field in either direction, either by hand with 2 people or a chain and the 4x4. It houses one of our breeding groups of Narragansett turkeys in the field in Summer and gets dragged up into the old cattle yard for the current year's growers to live in over Winter, while the turkeys go in an old stable.
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I like that idea... I have to rebuild the floor of that shed anyway, so it won't be hard to build it on a couple of heavy runners!