Chinese chickshaw

Came up with this idea because I was exposed to this wonderful thread here:
https://permies.com/t/70406/presents-Ancient-Chinese-Wheel-Barrow#610357

So basic idea is an A- frame inspired design for approx 50 birds ( central wheel allowing for heavier load with less strain to the operator thus allowing reasonably large size) with fly in nest boxes near the top, roosts in center fly in entrance that will be taller when parked then in motion and an expanded metal or fall through floor to complement pasture and compost based systems by allowing manure to fall directly to the ground

Would love to hear from anyone who's built anything lile this or even has any experience with a Chinese wheel barrow and may have tips for cheap but quality construction of a chinese wheelbarrow

Devon Olsen wrote:Came up with this idea because I was exposed to this wonderful thread here:
https://permies.com/t/70406/presents-Ancient-Chinese-Wheel-Barrow#610357

Would love to hear from anyone who's built anything lile this or even has any experience with a Chinese wheel barrow and may have tips for cheap but quality construction of a chinese wheelbarrow

This guy has blueprints for something similar:

https://permies.com/t/47069/critters/Chickenbarrow

The Chickenbarrow isn't really similar at all. Structurally, it's just a wheelbarrow with a coop built on it. It's a nice coop, but I think the key difference, and advantage to, this idea is that the axle or the centre wheel bears all the weight.

I was thinking of an idea that's similar to this, but based on the largest size available plastic wheelie bins. For flying under the radar in urban and suburban locales where it might not be allowed, I think it would work for three to four laying hens, or up to six bantams. But I won't hijack this thread. My point was that wheelie bins work in a way that's similarly different from the western wheelbarrow.

I like the potential for flexibility with this design idea. You could, for instance, build a low-slung two-wheeled coop structure with sockets into which you put the handles when in use. There could be two sets of these sockets, to enable movement from either end. Or if a heavier construct was desired, the variable handle position idea could be scrapped for one that has a single handle position, but is designed for weight to be applied downward on the handle to raise the resting foot. The handle end could be counter-weighted with, for instance, a water reservoir, to ease movement.

-CK

I would check out this design: http://abundantpermaculture.com/mobile-chicken-coop/

Watched some YouTube videos showing it and it seems to work well. Plans for the design are available on the page.

Ive seen the rhodes chickshaw and unless I build this design I will probably be building one of his in the spring but I have to wonder at the potential of this design to withstand 400-600 lbs of construction materials and therefore accomodate 50-75 birds as opposed to 36
At least thats the idea
The technology should def work for moving and storing pasture feed and water for broilers and I may just have to build one with that purpose in mind, but what to use for a modern wheel?

As for the chickbarrow I love the door/roost contraption and I think that could make the rhodes chickshaw more suited to my purposes (morning- mid day chore time and no one there at night to close up) but it is still based on the western wheelbarrow rather than the chinese wheelbarrow so not quite what I'm looking for inspiration wise

it seems that the combination of the big wheel, and its center location as opposed to being placed at one end and the short legs are what create the height necessary for the fly in door, so perhaps changing these things may help to create the same conditions on the Rhodes' chickshaw...

Surprised this is still page 1 of the sub thread all these years later.
I never did make a Chinese barrow design.
I did make a chickshaw based on Rhodes design with a few changes.  Namely the fly in door.
After a few years use there are a few additional changes that I'll be making when I build another unit as well. The original unit was not properly designed for our winds here, and the handlebar and struts for it didn't hold up very well.

Future handle may be similar with additional reinforcements.
Roof will be permanent and not hinged, that roof would catapult large stones up to 20 feet away if the wind caught me away from the farm.
Access door or doors would be near back side of the coopnearnest boxes for three reasons
The walls were too tall when mounted on wheels  to bend over the top of
Manure and eggs would collect in hard to  reach places as a result.
Collecting or cleaning this area  would either result in broken eggs or a dangerous situation where the  wind would catch the roof and cause the prop to drop, and then the roof to subsequently drop... on me.
Hen turds are larger than expected and would build up, so I may also consider 1x2 mesh or something to facilitate cleaning.

I am also considering a  revisit of an a frame to increase square footage per lb, I'd really like to get 1-200 hens in one structure if I can manage it.

It's not a bad idea, the Chinese chick-shaw idea, but if you (who came up with the idea) aren't interested enough to try to make it work, even with all the perceived benefits over the more western-based chick-shaw concepts, I'm not seeing where anyone else would necessarily be interested in trying it out. Especially when it might be hard to source the wheels around which the concept forms.  

I've seen a pastured poultry idea where a Conestoga-type wagon-concept was made over into a house for several hundred hens - the wagon was towed by a tractor from place to place, and everything the chickens needed was permanently attached. I would think that something smaller could manage without needing a 4 wheel base for stability, but you would have a limitation of how many chickens you could house.

I think a lot of the pasture-chicken ideas are interesting. They all seem to lack some element of livestock handling - either they really limit the amount of land in use, they require setting up some sort of moveable fence that would be an additional process to move, or they look like battery cages on wheels. Or all of the above.

It just seems hard to find something attractive and clever that is also useful and appropriate for using to raise livestock. The pretty things all seem to be horrible and the ugly things seem to be more useful and realistic in management.

I guess it underlines the Cheap/Fast/Good triangle of animal care.

Good luck with you ideas! I hope you're able to figure out the surface area/chicken habitat/portability equation in a manner that pleases you.