Strange hut on wheels - ID please

[Vincent Lowe]

I've been revisiting some early uploads and had this captioned as a possible hen house but there were no hens around at the time to ask.  Even if it was being used as a hen house, I doubt that was it's original purpose.  Any ideas?

 

It was in a corner of a field in Dentdale, in the Yorkshire Dales, England.

 

 

Edited July 27, 2020 by Vincent Lowe

[Gorilla Dave]

My guess is that it's a relatively recent DIY project to create what you’ve said - a movable hen-house.

If it was in the Yorkshire Dales then someone may have been inspired by Shepherds’ Huts, movable huts on wheels - and mixed in some of the stylistic features of a beach cabin or Victorian bathing machine.

GD
 

 

[Vincent Lowe]

Thanks Dave, you are probably right.  I had thought of a shepherd's hut but after a quick look on Google I decided it was too small. 

[Phil Robinson]

No idea what it is but it has an excellent chance of winning next year's Turner Prize.

 

[Jools Devon]

I think it was - or is based on a Bathing machine - A victorian contraption that you would get changed in - and could be pushed down to the waters edge

 

https://www.alamy.com/search.html?CreativeOn=1&adv=1&ag=0&all=1&creative=&et=0x000000000000000000000&vp=0&loc=0&qt=bathing machine&qn=&lic=6&lic=1&imgt=0&archive=1&dtfr=&dtto=&hc=&selectdate=&size=0xFF&aqt=&epqt=&oqt=&nqt=&gtype=0&pn=1&ps=100&qt_raw=bathing machine&pl=#BHM=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D0%26pn%3D1%26ps%3D100%26sortby%3D2%26qt%3Dbathing%20machine%26qt_raw%3Dbathing%20machine%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26edrf%3D0%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3D%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D{FB12AABA-5991-4673-90B8-A33815DE78F9}%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D1%26resultview%3DsortbyPopular%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D1%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3DGB%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26lb%3D%26pl%3D%26plno%3D%26fi%3D0%26langcode%3Den%26upl%3D0%26cufr%3D%26cuto%3D%26howler%3D%26cvrem%3D0%26cvtype%3D0%26cvloc%3D0%26cl%3D0%26upfr%3D%26upto%3D%26primcat%3D%26seccat%3D%26cvcategory%3D*%26restriction%3D%26random%3D%26ispremium%3D1%26flip%3D0%26contributorqt%3D%26plgalleryno%3D%26plpublic%3D0%26viewaspublic%3D0%26isplcurate%3D0%26imageurl%3D%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D%26filters%3D0

 

[Brian Yarvin]

Although the trim is unique, this is just like the movable chicken houses you see all over the Northeastern USA. Some are as small dollhouses and others as big as school buses, they all serve the same purpose; they act as an indoor chicken shelter than can be moved around to fertilize pastures directly. 

[wiskerke]

25 minutes ago, Brian Yarvin said:

Although the trim is unique, this is just like the movable chicken houses you see all over the Northeastern USA. Some are as small dollhouses and others as big as school buses, they all serve the same purpose; they act as an indoor chicken shelter than can be moved around to fertilize pastures directly. 

 

Usually called a chicken tractor. They can be very elaborate (this one from Australia - more here). And super useful.

This British one lacks the fenced in outside area. I don't see how it would work.

The previous tenants of my first apartment that had a garden had owned 4 tiny bantam chickens. The whole 500 sq ft/50m2 garden was a wasteland that refused to grow anything except a huge tree they somehow spared.

 

wim

[geogphotos]

1 hour ago, wiskerke said:

 

Usually called a chicken tractor. They can be very elaborate (this one from Australia - more here). And super useful.

This British one lacks the fenced in outside area. I don't see how it would work.

The previous tenants of my first apartment that had a garden had owned 4 tiny bantam chickens. The whole 500 sq ft/50m2 garden was a wasteland that refused to grow anything except a huge tree they somehow spared.

 

wim

 

The idea of the the steep wobbly stick ladder is to keep foxes out and allow hens in - making a fenced area uneccessary. 

Edited July 28, 2020 by geogphotos

[John Morrison]

Whatever it is, David Cameron would be happy to buy it for twenty five grand...

[geogphotos]

59 minutes ago, John Morrison said:

Whatever it is, David Cameron would be happy to buy it for twenty five grand...

 

 

A link to clarify:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/30/downing-street-to-garden-retreat-david-cameron-spends-25000-on-luxury-hut

 

In this one the fox can get in easily. Not sure about the hens.

Edited July 28, 2020 by geogphotos

[Vincent Lowe]

Thanks for the suggestions and comments - looks like we're agreed it's a movable hen house so I'll stick with that.

 

On my walks I've often seen chickens freely roaming about, they and their owners seemingly not being worried about foxes.  These were busy watching the world go by near the village of Dent, not all that far from the hut, though on a different occasion....

 

 

[geogphotos]

18 minutes ago, Vincent Lowe said:

Thanks for the suggestions and comments - looks like we're agreed it's a movable hen house so I'll stick with that.

 

On my walks I've often seen chickens freely roaming about, they and their owners seemingly not being worried about foxes.  These were busy watching the world go by near the village of Dent, not all that far from the hut, though on a different occasion....

 

 

 

 

The foxes generally come out at night when people aren't around. Around dusk people will go out and start to direct their poultry towards safety. The birds themselves will start roosting and heading homewards. 

 

The idea with the system in the picture you posted is that they can get safely inside up the wobbly steep ladder and the fox can't. So they can be free range all day and put themselves to bed. And get up and out in the morning when they feel like it. The wheeled system means that the whole thing can be moved around to spread their feeding and fertilising without requiring human effort every evening and morning. 

Edited July 28, 2020 by geogphotos

[Shergar]

http://housesforhens.com/pictures.html

[Vincent Lowe]

7 minutes ago, geogphotos said:

The foxes generally come out at night when people aren't around. Around dusk people will go out and start to direct their poultry towards safety. The birds themselves will start roosting and heading homewards. 

 

 

I think urban foxes may be a bit bolder - perhaps they've realised they won't be chased by 'the unspeakable'.  This was in my next door's garden in the middle of the afternoon - less than three miles from the centre of Manchester.  He/she was happily soaking up the sun and I felt a bit guilty afterwards - it didn't seem to bother about me poking my lens over the garden fence but as soon as it heard the click of the shutter it was off.

 

 

[Vincent Lowe]

17 minutes ago, Shergar said:

http://housesforhens.com/pictures.html

 

Thanks Shergar.  Definitely a mobile hen house with fox-proof access!

[wiskerke]

Maybe the ladder didn't work and the fox still got all the chickens. Or at least tried to get in and wrecked the ladder.

Because of a ban on foxhunting here we have seagulls nesting in cities and chickens sleeping in trees. Lapwings; Snipes; Redshanks; Godwits are all red-listed now. Modern farming doesn't help either of course.

 

wim