Temporary grow out pen idea

This year Darrell and I are going to use a couple old 12'' trampolines as seasonal grow out pens for ducklings, goslings, meat birds, bunnies etc. We plan to wrap the metal frame with stucco wire, and attach with zip ties. The great thing is the top trampoline mats. Provides shade and deteres winged predators. We'll use chicken wire for the gaps where the mat attaches to the round top frame. We'll be able to move them around the yard. In the fall we'll disassemble and store till next year.
Hope it works well. Thought it would be a good use for them rather then throwing them out.

Jess

Necessity is the mother of invention! (said someone famous) This sounds like a good idea.

We have one of those erector set garage- with- tarp- roof thingies that we used for temporary cover when the horse had a baby years ago. I'm thinking that, with wire of some sort zip stripped to the poles, might make temporary bird cover. Of course it won't be bear proof. But so far, nothing has been, no matter what construction method has been used.

I have used them for a couple years now after Cbrookkelly turned me on to them. I don't have the top mat, just the frames. I put stucco wire around the edges, and then netting on the top.
Unfortunately they are so large they are hard to move around, so the ground where the ducks are gets pretty pooped up, so need to find another option. Another issue I had was I let the netting on top get a few gaps around the edges and something got in and killed some ducks, so have to fix that this year.
But they are very handy, and I think if a person could tip them up and roll them to a new spot that would help a lot.

Hidden River wrote:
Unfortunately they are so large they are hard to move around, so the ground where the ducks are gets pretty pooped up, so need to find another option.
But they are very handy, and I think if a person could tip them up and roll them to a new spot that would help a lot.

You could drill some holes into the frame and bolt some wheels on?

For my chicken tractors, I just keep a two wheel dolly around and move them with that.

I've thought of the trampoline frame idea as well, but I think it would look gross and cause my husband to want to divorce me. lol

I have seen the trampoline idea in use and it seemed to work well. We have the frame of a car cover currently in use as a run for the boys we are growing out....it works well

I agree Authentic. It would look very "shanty town" if placed in our main yards. I like my vast lawns and don't want trodden down mud circles to be seen when people come over, so we plan to put them in my old Buck (goat) pen/field. It's a big area, level, and really out of sight...so perfect. At the back of the property but close to our second water pump. It would be for when they no longer need heat but can't yet go with the adult stock.

Good idea bcboy!

Thanks for the advice Hidden!

Would you be able to drag it with a quad? That's how I move my chicken tractors by myself

Prairie Chick wrote:Would you be able to drag it with a quad?  That's how I move my chicken tractors by myself

How do you prevent catching chicken legs under the edges?

move it very, very slowly? I think its a great idea.

JDWest wrote:This year Darrell and I are going to use  a couple old 12'' trampolines as seasonal grow out pens for ducklings, goslings, meat birds, bunnies etc. We plan to wrap the metal frame with stucco wire, and attach with zip ties. The great thing is the top trampoline mats. Provides shade and deteres winged predators. We'll use chicken wire for the gaps where the mat attaches to the round top frame. We'll be able to move them around the yard. In the fall we'll disassemble and store till next year.
Hope it works well. Thought it would be a good use for them rather then throwing them out.

Jess

So this is their new job in life, these once trampolines to chicken tractors. Nice idea, and they live another life out of the dump. Probably use them for more year as chicken tractors than trampolines.