Chicksaw: Rhodes vs Eliot Coleman

Hey gang,

Going to be new to chickenry this spring and I’m looking to build my chicksaw soon. Does anyone have perspectives on the relative design benefits/flaws of Justin Rhodes’ vs Eliot Coleman style chickshaws?

I’m leaning towards a hybrid model where I build a wood frame based on Rhodes’, but instead of continuing to frame it up with wood according to his instructions, adapting a Coleman style hoop top to give the chickens more vertical space and, mainly, to save on lumber and cutting wood pieces. I’m figuring it would end up looking a bit like a Conestoga wagon.

I like having multi-purpose structures, and I figure the other advantage of using a hoop based top, besides less wood and cutting, would be that i could use it as a quick low tunnel if ever I gave up the chicksaw for chicken sheltering. Conservation of effort, conservation of resources.

A disadvantage to Coleman’s style seems to be that it could invite more lift under heavy winds, requiring some preventative staking. Also that his design doesn’t seem to have easy top access like Rhodes’. I figure I could affix the hoop top to a second rectangular frame that could latch into the base for reasonably easy removal if that was ever needed.

Hoping to hear some feedback from ye permies.

Cheers!

Will it be situated inside a predator-proof enclosure?

I’ll be using an electric fence like Rhodes. Additionally, I’m planning on parking the Chickshaw inside a hoop house during the winter to give them a some snow-free run.

I have made both flat topped and gable roofed chookwagons.
I prefer the flat topped, because it provides a work platform.
I think any coop should be built to be hard to access by predators, regardless of the fencing around it.
Generally hardware cloth is sufficient against the predator's in my area.
Building  to the constraints of the cheapest materials , least cutting and sized to my gates, my designs are longer, thinner and higher than either the chicken tractor or the chickshaw.
One of my designs was too long to make the turns through our gates, and had to be lifted over!
In the last iteration, I built a cage with hardware cloth on two sides and the bottom, solid on two sides and the top, legs that keep it out of the mud, no wheels, but sized too fit through my garden gates.
Plastic sheets and blankets alter the insulation and ventilation to fit the season.
If I need it be on  wheels, I'll build a garden cart to fit the cage, but it being sized to just 6 chooks, the cage is already very portable.

Thanks for your experience and insights, William. I can see the advantage of the flat top. To be clear, my “hoop top” will be made of rigid plastic, same or similar roofing that Rhodes’ uses. Don’t mean to give the impression I’ll be using greenhouse plastic as in a hoop house. If I end up repurposing the hoop too for the garden, I would change the covering.

Charlie, of you give your hens a hoop house as their run, I think they will be very happy 😊.
The only weather my girls hate is snow, and then only when it's on the ground.
A hoop house within a hoophouse will be very cozy.
I hope you share photos of your process!

I can't speak to Justin Rhode's chickshaw, but I got the plans from Eliot for his Chickshaw and built it as closely as I could. I had a brother-in-law with a pipe bender that helped with the hooped top.

I liked it. I built that one mainly because it was a little lighter and a little cheaper at the time for my area. The handle doesn't come off, but gives the chickens another roost. I never had any problems with wind, though we don't get that bad of wind in my area. I think it would be nice to have had easier access to the middle, but I managed just fine. It was only a few rare times that I needed to get a chicken or egg from the middle. Generally I could reach in the door or through the nesting boxes on the back. I do like that in the Eliot Colman version the boxes are on the back instead of inside. I put plastic roofing from home depot as the roof and never had any issues with them perching on the roof (could have just been my chickens though). My two issues were with the wheels and bottom. I broke an elbow piece and used it anyway, and I forever had problems with the wheels bending in and I would have to readjust the piping to make the wheels straight again. I would recommend if you can get 6' hardware cloth, do it. Trying to piece together 3' pieces was just a pain. This has nothing to do with this style, but I used way to small hardware cloth on the bottom. With a larger breed chicken and their feathers and the straw they kicked out from the nesting boxes meant I would get a mat of manure on the bottom and would have to hose it out more frequently than google would have you believe with hardware cloth on the bottom "where the poop just falls through to the ground". I believe I used half inch. I think I would go up to 1" if I was going to built it again.

Although I am considering building a mini version of Joel Saletin's x framed egg bird setup (edit: the egg mobile. I had forgeten his name for it). In this case, there are perches on the side, and no hardware cloth on the bottom to block anything. Nothing to stop predators either, so I would be relying on electric fence. It would be an interesting experiment.

Hi Matt - great tips! Thanks. I also don’t get bad wind. I was a little nervous about the off chance that a lighter build would effectively turn itself into an airship and carry the birds away in the night…I realize I could just wrap the thing in a tarp when bad wind is forecasted. I think I’ll go with this plan and let ye all know how it turns out. Wish me luck.

I’m doing electric fencing as well. Just trying to determine what will protect them in the winter if I can’t connect the energizer to 110. We often have about 6” or more of wet, constantly melting snow and I want to keep the preds at bay (I especially don’t want any exploratory perforations of the hoop house plastic.

PS - anyone have tips for a diy pipe bending technique? Not too keen on buying the gadget that I would rarely use.

Cheers

As to the weight and being blown away, keep in mind that the size of Eliot Coleman's plans can hold 30-50 birds. At 5lb a piece, that can be quite a bit of extra weight to hold things down at night.

A warning on the electric fence, I left mine out well into December (because my greenhouse was not ready), and the snow came and damaged my fencing. It still worked and shocked ok, but it forever sagged on the bottom where the snow had stretched it, and it was difficult to get it up off even short grass. Everyone I know who does this style of chickens, and gets snow in the winter, puts them in a greenhouse for the winter. I did for mine and I did not have any issues with predators ripping the plastic to come in... though it was only for 1 year so far. Once the predators figure it out, maybe they would be more aggressive? I know Justin Rhodes built solid/wire fencing up part way on the sides of his greenhouse. I think he might have even added a hot wire around it.

As to the bent pipes... my first suggestion would be to try to find someone who has one and would let you come over and use it. Second, there are some places that will rent a pipe bender. You could check with local rental stores. Lastly, there are some plywood pipe bending jigs that you can find plans for online. Personally, for this small a number, I would probably figure out a different roof before going that route, but if you have the stuff around, it would probably work.

Well it is 90% finished and holding chicks. Bending the pipes was easy with a simple plywood jig. I had to re-bend a bit to get each relatively uniform. The roof paneling conforms nicely to the variabilities in the hoop shape.

What is not complete are the nesting area access door and the towing boards. The teeny wheels are temporary $1 cart wheels from ReStore until I find something larger that doesn’t cost a pretty penny. The pulleys will fit nicely under there while I hunt.

The frame is identical to Rhode’s Chickshaw, but it he ends are slightly modified to fit a hoop roof. Overall I think I saved a little money on this project, but not much compared to Rhode’s plan. Without weighing it is lighter because less wood was used, but again, not a major change. In the end I think the bent hoops are very capable of repurposing which was my main motivation.

Access is possible by unpinning one section of the roofing and folding up. The chicks are brooding nicely in there now and I filled the floor mesh with cardboard and pine shavings until their feet are bigger.

I still have to gussy it up, but it was pretty easy to throw together.

Hi Charlie,
That is a good looking coop. I really like the way you did the door... wish I had thought of that when I was building mine.

I would not skimp on the wheels if this is going to be a mobile coop. Get them tall enough to give the chickens some shade underneath, and sturdy enough to go over rough ground. They will get used a lot, and a broken or flat wheel will make it WAY harder to pull.

I couldn't quite tell from the pictures. Did you do anything with roosts? If so, what did you design in?

Thanks, Matt. I’ve a seen a picture of your coop and is it not too late to replace some of those roof panel fasteners with pins? I think the metal is fairly flexible and could be lifted up for access.

In the Rhodes designs, the roosts are 2”x2” strips laid over the bottom hardware cloth floor every 12”. Similar to the Coleman version, to my knowledge. I filled in the gaps with cardboard and pine shavings until their feet get bigger.

OK, what does this mean please?
"I still have to gussy it up"

John C Daley wrote:OK, what does this mean please?
"I still have to gussy it up"

Make it fitter than your average Sheila?

I’ll see to it that it is decorated with baubles and glitzy trinkets.

gus·sy /ˈɡəsē/ verb
INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
make someone or something more attractive, especially in a showy or gimmicky way.

Charlie Barnwise wrote:I’ll see to it that it is decorated with baubles and glitzy trinkets.

Even if we're just talking about a spiffy paint job and/or some cheerful and silly somethings, I look forward to seeing this. Very much of a muchness.
It's a lovely mobile coop and I hope it has continued to work well for you and the birds involved.