Building a chicken coop inexpensively

What is "real inexpensive" to you??  A coop for 10 birds won't be super cheap (at least if it's built with proper ventilation and built to be secure from predators), but can be quite reasonable if you spend some time on craigs list - do a lot of looking for free or discounted materials/supplies.  But basically, yes - your coop could be like a giant doghouse, but does need ventilation, a clean-out door, and a pop door that can be closed each night to keep them safe.

Go to the coop section of BYC and look at Hoop Coops, depending on what part of the US you live in, this could be your answer. Good luck and enjoy your chickens.

As a matter of fact... take a look at my thread here  http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/cheezychicken-builds-a-coop.  I am building mine for free... yep, that's it free.  OK, some of the things I am using, I got earlier and had in my stash, like my tools, but for the most part, everything else has not cost a thing.  

All my materials are salvaged, right down to the nails and screws.  I have literally 46 cents in the bank and no way to get any more money so my coop has to be free or I would not have one.  It is taking some time, a lot of energy and plenty of elbow grease but it can be done.  The wood is non-standard sizes.  But how much does a chicken weigh?  I'm not going to be climbing around in the coop. 

I may get some oops paint at Home Depot to paint it later, when I get my Social Security check at the first of the month.  But that will cost $5.00 a gallon and how many gallons will I need.  ONE.  A paintbrush will cost $2.00. 

Lately, wood is more expensive..     so..     we started with a "dog run" (10' x 10')...     put it up against a block wall/fence....     scewed into the block wall/fence, with a "wooden coop" part up against the fence (roof built separately and attached)....    and one of the four sides of the dog run put on top -- over the run part to keep predators out.  (you see the neighbor's gazebo behind)...  I'm going to insulate the roof this year, in CA I have more of a problem with summer heat than with winter cold.

I second the hoop coop cattle panel structure but I'd go without the wood framing at the bottom and just use T posts and cattle panels for the rigid construction.  I'll show you a small sample...this shelter was for sheep to lounge in during the winter.  We had the highest winds we'd ever had that winter and this thing didn't budge.  Took about an hour to put it up and less than that to take it down again.

It has many options to turning this structure into a good coop and they are all cheaper than wood construction, more durable and the materials are reusable once you don't want chickens any longer. 

The hoop coops with all the lumber bases and bells and whistles can run into money upwards to $200 if done right but this style is much cheaper and just as sturdy...actually, this one won't ever flip in the wind like some of the lighter weight hoop coops do. 

I'm currently sourcing used materials for my coop. So far not much coming my way though lol. I want to do mine "cheap" also but am finding that I may not be able to do it. So, instead we will be doing it in stages. We will be doing the main structure and roosts right away then working on the things like windows, nesting boxes, and the interior...getting it insulated and finished.

Try to find wood pallets from stores for free. I am almost finished with a 5.5' x 3.5' coop for 6 hens, and have only spent about $25 so far for a few misc. things (hinges, locks, a couple 2x4's, and 8x4 pice of OSB, etc.). By the time the coop is finished, I will have spent less than $100, as all I have to buy is more plywood and some chicken wire/hardware cloth. Craigslist is also great- sometimes you can get salvaged wood and wood pallets for free there as well.

I went to Atwoods, but TSC has them too.  I am using shipping crates from them that they normally throw in the dumpster.  Most of the wood is between 3 and 6 feet long.  The pieces are 2 x 3 and 1 x 3.  They practically begged me to take the stuff.  They even loaded it on my truck for me.   The crates are used to ship lawn mowers and tractor parts.  You have to take the crates apart, but it only took me one afternoon to take 5 crates apart. 

It's not hard wood so it will need to be painted and I had to do a lot of reinforcement, but like I said earlier, I'm not going to be climbing around inside.  SO here is what mine looks like so far. 

I plan on using a couple more crates to build the outdoor run.  Some of the crates are long and narrow and will be perfect to use as a door on either end of a cattle panel hoop run.  Cut one third off of two pieces of cattle panel, bend both large pieces over a rectangle made of 2 x 3's.  Wire them together with rebar ties and cover it with chicken wire.  Use the remaining 1/3 pieces on the ends to cover the hole and secure with rebar ties.  Cut off the excess of the 1/3 pieces to fit the end curve with an angle grinder or a bolt cutter.  Put a small door in the end.  Attach it to your coop on one end.     Voila, you have a hoop run.