Simple to build or affordable coop up to 12 banties?

[eggxelent]

Looking for a chicken coop for up to 12 bantam chickens all hens at first, but maybe a rooster later.
That was a long sentence.
I am hoping to build a simple chicken coop or buy one $500 or under. It needs to house a fair amount of bantams, up to 12, and be VERY predator proof. It also needs to have a BIG run. And nesting boxes that are accessible from the outside. Also needs to be easily cleanable. So gimme' the best suggestions you got, because this one's gonna be tricky to find!
Thanks for your help,
~Eggxelent

 

[Lone Wolf]

You could go to the coop section on here and see if anything pops.

 

[bamachicks8]

Have you looked at the pallet coops? They (seem ) to be easy enough to build and most places have them free or cheap and you can size them to your liking and make the run yourself I'll let you know the ease of which they are to build when we actually get started

 

[eggxelent]

You could go to the coop section on here and see if anything pops.

I looked there, Dad says all the designs are too complicated

. It has to be constructed, for goodness sake!

Sorry, I'm in a bad mood 2day, stayed up late, got up way early.

 

[bamachicks8]

There is a thread on here called our newly finished pallet coop you should check it out should be easy enough for you and your dad to put together my dh is willing to take it on and construction isn't his thing I could even do it if necessary- I think-

 

[Lone Wolf]

Do you have a shed or something you can convert into a coop? Or you could take simple garden shed plans and add in things your chickens would need. Maybe you have already tried this but I hope it helps.

 

[mrwoodboat]

For that number of chooks, I would look in the local Craigslist and try to find an old shed (the metal or wood type. Convert by adding freestanding nesting boxes and roosts (think inverted clothes line for roosts) then you can go by your locla lumber outlet and speak with the manager to see if they have any 4x4 posts they are culling to use as fence posts for the run. It is a little bit of work to dig the holes but it will be solid if you use welded wire to fence it in.

We used recycled pallets to make 3 of our smaller coops- they house 4-5 birds each. Started one last night for a pair of birds that will be 42" wide and 96" long with a triangle profile- the idea being we could make some 8' "tubes" to add onto the end if thse birds do well. The only expense we have with using the pallets is the sawzall blades to cut them apart, wire staples for the wire and an intial purchase of 100' of 4' welded fence wire.

We even use the drops from the wire to make carry cages or isolation cages for roos- just cut some of the 4" long pcs and twist them around the wire where two sides meet- the biggest we have made has been 6' long x 2' tall and 28" wide.. we did have to put some pcs in the middle to strengthen it but it works for holding new birds for a little while.

Good luck, keep us posted on how it goes

 

[kreagerm]

With a $500 budget you're gonna want to look at recycled items, as everyone has mentioned. If you go the pallet route, your dad will have to do a bunch of construction in order to get it the way you want it. Not sure if he is up for that job. Best of luck, and it can be done, so hang in there.

 

[windtryst]

You should focus on the run,or think of it as an aviary. You don't need much of a coop for bantams, mine never go in the coop, they sleep up in the rafters of the aviary . You could use an old dog house for a coop. I live in Pennsylvania and they roost outside even in the winter,have for years and are fine.

 

[DeepFried]

My coop is shown as my avitar. It cost about $450 to make (all treated lumber). The biggest pro is the lack of much needed cleaning. All the manure falls below... It is also pretty much predator proof, coop and run. I also don't have to let them out in the morning or secure them at night (work schedule was a factor in design).

I will eventually add slides and hardware cloth around the bottom to allow it to be a coop/ tractor hybrid; adding additional run capacity and ground access. Right now, I have a box that I have a dirt and hardwood ash mix for their dust bathing.

The pic below shows the laying boxes (outside accessible) that were added, but not shown in the full view.