August 2025 vol. 1
It took me longer than expected, but I finally completed the new (and improved) egg mobile. I first hinted at this project in the newsletter (link) announcing the purchase of 500 laying pullets toward the end of May. I’ve been pecking away at it as time permitted, but I’m happy to announce its completion – and the ladies are too.
Our previous egg mobile, an old cotton wagon, has served us well, but it didn’t provide protection from wind and rain. It had a cover and only one wall, so heavy winds would blow the rain in sideways. Chickens are pretty hearty, but nobody enjoys fowl weather. And as I needed more room to house the additional birds, I felt it was time to upgrade.
There were a lot of options available when considering a new egg mobile. I ruled out a metal shipping container as gets way too hot in the summer – regardless on how you try to ventilate it. I found a few cotton wagons in the local area, but I would quickly outgrow them, and I wanted to do something different.
Fortunately, I was able to find a box off of an old box van (a USPS vehicle to be precise). These are nice as the exterior is made of wood which doesn’t conduct the heat like metal does, and they have a roll-up door that allows for a lot of airflow and easy access. I was able to buy a used axel and fabricated a trailer tongue for it so I could move it around the pasture. I ripped out the wooden floor, put down some wire mesh, and installed roosts and nest boxes. As you can see from the photos, the girls have taken to it nicely.
Though it will be a few more months before the ladies are laying, they’ll be high and dry – enjoying green grass and high class.
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