The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: sophie on April 24, 2015, 09:20:00 am
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Hi
I have a pick up canopy and I want to use it as a moveable goose hut. We have about 12 geese, so may need to get another one. We keep the geese to keep the grass down inside the fruit orchard but the hut they are in now takes too much cleaning out, and they also have to change fields due to the footpath.
The canopy is large but maybe not tall enough. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of how to make it taller but still retain its moveable quality. It needs to last and not look too shanty town!
Any ideas would be great.
Kind regards
Sophie
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Hi,
I used the same set up last year. I made a frame using s/hand T&G floor boards and 2x2 timber to lift it off the ground for head room, you will need a threshold to hold it all together where the door will be. Put an old wheelbarrow wheel at one end (not the door end) that you can flip down and lock in place then two handles by the door and that's it you can push it where ever you want.
P.S. you must make a door.
Dave
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Thank Dave that's great. Good idea about the wheelbarrow wheel. Will need to think about how I would attach it. You don't happen to have any pictures do you?
Many thanks
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You could stand on railway sleepers to give height.
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I have sleepers, but I wanted it to be easy to move.
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Whereabouts are you Sophie? I have discovered 2 of these at my new place and would love it if someone could use them rather than me take em to the tip :thumbsup:
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Any poultry house needs a solid floor - badgers and foxes are good at burrowing into houses with no floor....
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Sorry for delay
I am based in North Derbyshire in the Peak District, just outside Sheffield. I am planning to peg it to the floor and know what your saying about a floor. We have a shoot near us that helps but we do have lots of badgers on our top land. Non have caused any issue yet, but I've just jinxed it!! May have to put a mesh floor on. Thanks for the tip.
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I migt have picked up a pickup canopy, how high should I make it for use with geese?
Is it beat to have it completely dark inside, or will they want a bit of light?
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I use an old Series LandRover hard top as an open field shelter is our geese field (it's only 15x25m and we have chickens ducks and geese in there). It's high enough for geese so maybe look out for 1 of those.
Another good one if you have 2 or 3 geese, as we have, is a wooden that marble and stone is delivered in. Try your local tile centre of high end kitchen/bathroom stone retainer. It's quite easy to turn one into a strong goose house.
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The canopy I'm getting is a 'Truckman' off a Mitsubishi. Hoping it will be suitable for the 6 geese that are arriving next month. I'll need to add walls and a floor though, as I think it'll be too low.
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Have now taken delivery of the canopy- it's 75cm high, 230cm long, and about 150cm wide.
How much higher should I make it?
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Here's the finished article, cost about £25 in materials (pickup top was free) and took an afternoon to build. Movable by two people, and the five geese seem pretty happy with it!