TWEAK MY COOP~Tweaks on the Cheap

[ShrekDawg]

When scrapping a coop together out of such things, it always takes longer to build and one has to get innovative on fitting the pieces together, as they are often different sizes and quality. 

But...hugely worth it when it comes to expense. 

Some folks want a pretty as a picture pen, so they wouldn't even consider pallets or scrap wood, but chickens don't notice a bit of difference.  Those folks like to talk about how much their first eggs cost them while posting pics of their $1500  coop on FB, but I wouldn't trade them for a minute...I can brag about how much my first egg didn't cost me. 

Very true!! And besides, even if one did want pretty, there's plenty of ways you can arrange the pallets, cover it with siding or similar things, or a coat of paint, etc. To make it "pretty" yet still cheap.

 

[User395221]

I'm not really sure how expensive the T Posts are because I hadn't thought to look into it but the wood I planned to use was just regular 2x4's, maybe bigger wood on the base, so I would assume T Posts might be cheaper but not sure.

My chicken yard was just star pickets (what you call T posts) with mesh. The big girls have moved into a new house and I've been building an attached covered run. I got timber posts to look the same as the re-purposed cubby house which is now their house. They were cheaper than star pickets of the same length.

As mentioned before, the savings come when you re-purpose or recycle things. Once people have star pickets lying about in their backyard, they aren't as valuable as they are at the shops and when people need to get rid of them in a hurry you can buy them second-hand for a fraction of the cost. It cost me quite a lot of money to buy my star pickets for the yard, but if I keep them, I can erect another for no additional cost. The welded mesh wire is also expensive to buy new at the shop. Once it's second-hand, you can get it much cheaper. Even things like screws and wire cost a lot of money. Once you've begun making things and acquire screws to re-use, you don't have to spend $5 every time you need a new size screw.

I'd love to have some pallets. I'd like to construct some compost bins from them. For me, they wouldn't work out cheaply. I can't lift them by myself, I don't have transport. Even though they are offered free, I'd have to pay "a bloke" to transport them and they'd cost me quite a bit.

 

[Nardo]

Do you have a picture by chance? I'm always looking for design ideas. I work in a business where we get 4-6 pallets a day so I have access to all of them I can haul!

If you click on the "My Coop" link under my avatar, it will take you to the the whole deal.
But, like I say, the coop is now in the space that is only separated from the greenhouse by wire. It is about 6 feet over from what you will see in the pictures.
But you will get a good look at shipping crate and pallet construction. It's the same materials, I just scooted it over.

I found that pallet boards make great lap siding but I ripped them so they are more thin, just because I liked the look better

 

[Nardo]

When scrapping a coop together out of such things, it always takes longer to build and one has to get innovative on fitting the pieces together, as they are often different sizes and quality.

But...hugely worth it when it comes to expense.

Some folks want a pretty as a picture pen, so they wouldn't even consider pallets or scrap wood, but chickens don't notice a bit of difference. Those folks like to talk about how much their first eggs cost them while posting pics of their $1500 coop on FB, but I wouldn't trade them for a minute...I can brag about how much my first egg didn't cost me.

Exactly, although I do admire the look and professional quality of the expensive coops. I believe that my coop cost me maybe 80$. I have built a much bigger run now because chicken math made the old run too small for the growing flock. Maybe i can get a picture today of the new fence. It looks pretty much like a stockade. The secret to a cleaner looking pallet construction (IMO), is using identical pallets. When they are mix matched, it looks a bit more rustic.

 

[SHERRING7712]

If you click on the "My Coop" link under my avatar, it will take you to the the whole deal.
But, like I say, the coop is now in the space that is only separated from the greenhouse by wire. It is about 6 feet over from what you will see in the pictures.
But you will get a good look at shipping crate and pallet construction. It's the same materials, I just scooted it over.

I found that pallet boards make great lap siding but I ripped them so they are more thin, just because I liked the look better

love your coop and greenhouse. I wish we had a little more room so I could do something similar but no such luck! One day though!

 

[Nardo]

love your coop and greenhouse. I wish we had a little more room so I could do something similar but no such luck! One day though!

Thanks! Sure enough, you will get there.

 

[DianaMallory]

This past spring, after a rain I went to lock my girls up for the night. No I haven't got my auto pop door yet! My coop is on a slop, the back yard goes down hill to an 80 foot gorge. Well I have slipped many times going to lock up or let out, but this time I went down hard. Both feet went and I landed on my bum. Thank god the ground was wet or I probably would have broke something. But here is my Pimp my coop job still in progress.



I need to take more pics I have the lawn timbers laid out to go all the way around the run and then laying pea gravel in them creating a walkway, No more slippery mossy slope to fall on!

 

[Spartan22]

I haven't really pimp my coop but had altered it few times. I plan to paint change inside layout and do add on, photos to come hopefully soon.

Right now here's the previous changes.

 

[just13nat]

This past spring, after a rain I went to lock my girls up for the night. No I haven't got my auto pop door yet! My coop is on a slop, the back yard goes down hill to an 80 foot gorge. Well I have slipped many times going to lock up or let out, but this time I went down hard. Both feet went and I landed on my bum. Thank god the ground was wet or I probably would have broke something. But here is my Pimp my coop job still in progress. I need to take more pics I have the lawn timbers laid out to go all the way around the run and then laying pea gravel in them creating a walkway, No more slippery mossy slope to fall on!

Oh man, sorry about your tumble! Glad to hear you have a walkway started though, I can imagine the process of building your coop was even more challenging getting the materials down that slope! Nice coop though, I bet the chickens love that area slope and all!

 

[DianaMallory]

Thank you, and Yes the chickens seem really happy. and here is an updated pic.
I am getting ready to go out and put the rest of the gravel down now. On the end and then I will be done.