Chicken Coop Turned Coffee Table

First of all, I am admittedly not a chicken expert (yet) but I’m pretty sure this isn’t actually a “coop”. It’s probably more of a chicken-packing-crate or something, but that just doesn’t have the same ring to it. One thing I feel comfortable stating unequivocally however, is that its intended purpose was not storing books and hot beverages (the chicken poop covering it was a big hint) but look what happens when you go and give a girl power tools.

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Other than the part where I basically got to second base with this behemoth on the car ride back from the resale shop, this was a pretty easy project. Almost embarrassingly easy when you consider how long it took me to actually get it done.

Here’s how it started…

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I used a stiff brush on the chicken poop. (Talk about things you never thought you’d admit in public. My life is so glamorous.) And then I hit the top of the coop with the orbital sander and some 100 grit to get rid of any potential splinters, but not enough to take away the nice aged look.

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Here’s a pro-tip: scouring poop off of old wood is infinitely more bearable if you’re also inhaling copious amounts of spray-paint fumes at the same time. Just sayin.

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After several experiments in aging, I finished off the casters with a coat of gold on the brackets and a mist of flat black over it.

While they dried, I also tackled scraping and cleaning the inside of the coop, and tacking some loose parts back in place.

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Then, because I knew I wanted easy access to store things inside the coop, I decided to remove the wood dowels from the back side. It was a perfect job for my Sonicrafter.

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Once the wheels were dry I bolted them in place…

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And there you have it. Chicken coop turned coffee table.

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Let me just say this. Once you attach four bigass steel casters to something, it becomes infinitely harder to carry up a flight of rickety basement stairs. This is now the heaviest piece of furniture I own. But well worth that five seconds where I thought for sure I was going to do a header down onto the basement floor.

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I love the way it looks, even though I think it will “go” a lot better in Hillside Cottage (you know, once I finally find property and build it) than it does in the rental. And since my obsession with collecting books is second only to my obsession with collecting tools, the extra storage is awesome. (Plus, as you can see, using my new old drill as a paperweight allows me to indulge in both obsessions in one 6 sq ft space.)

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Either way, for less than $40, I’m pretty sure this is my favorite coffee table ever. Even if it was once covered in chicken poop.

16 Responses

  1. Love how it turned out–looks fantastic! I collect books too, and recently was having to stack some on the floor. When I mentioned to Hubby that I might need to get another bookshelf, he casually replied that maybe I just needed to bring less books home. Sometimes I just don’t get that man.

    Maybe I’ll suggest buying a poop covered chicken cage as a solution!

    1. Less books?!? I’m seriously… my jaw is on the desk. Yeah, you definitely need a poop covered chicken cage instead.

  2. It looks great!

    I think it’s fun to read posts and see we own a lot of the same tools. “I have that shop vac!” “Hey I’ve got that same Rockwell!” “A Pasload 16 guage angle finish nailer!? That’s what I got for my birthday!!”

  3. Very nice!! I love it! Can I ask where you bought the casters? I’m having trouble finding some this size. Thank you!

  4. I bought one of these for $25 at an auction a couple of years ago. It’s been sitting in my garage waiting for inspiration. I need a coffee table and I have a chicken crate so . . .! I do have chickens, but their coop is actually the size of a large storage building!

  5. Definitely a poultry crate. That one was rebuilt at some time, since they weren’t made with plywood tops. The original would have been made with dimensional lumber butt jointed, with a square hinged hatch, or even two, on top.

    Your table turned out great…castors, too.

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  7. I am now making my second one. I was lucky enough to find another crate at a local flea market recently. They are getting rare around here. However, on both of mine, I’ve done them right side up, so you can just use the access door on top to open and close. Even though the slats are an inch or so apart, I can still put books and magazines on top!!

  8. I’m working on my chicken crate table at the moment. Found casters at local farm store. Am also using mine right side up w th hatch on top for accessibility and because I think it looks pretty. Got a piece of glass with polished edges for around $30 from a local auto glass shop to top it with so it’s flat enough to set cups on but can still see down into it. And, as I am not as gifted as you, to be honest every time I say “I am doin this or that” I really mean that my husband, who truly is gifted is the one really doing it. Thanks for a really fun & unique idea!

  9. Hi Kit,
    I know you did this project over 2 years ago…. but did you save the
    wooden dowel type slats that you removed?

    I am working on one now and am in need of about 10 replacement pieces…..thought it was worth a shot….let me know if you still have and would like to help me out.
    Thanks,
    Fran

  10. I have redone my chicken coop have a glass top however mine actually could be a turkey coop because it’s pretty pretty tall. The issue I find is that it is wobbly and I’m afraid one of my grandsons will bump into it and it will just fall over. Any suggestions on firming it up? Thank you so much and yours is beautiful! Mine sits on the floor is is 23” by 23 “ h and 33 side to side (across the top with a small spring operated door that lifts up)

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