Being a bit handy but budget minded, I decided to build my own coop for the new ladies rather than buy something that a) may be too big or small, or b) cost WAY too much money.
I landed on a 4ft by 6ft coop and run combo that cost just about $200 to build from locally sourced and mostly reclaimed materials.
Roof: purchased locally directly from the roll forming company. Cut to length so allI had to do was screw it onto the roof trusses with screws with the neoprene washers. $11 per 36in wide panel. WAHOO!
Cedar siding: reclaimed seconds from a building supply company that was about to throw it out or burn it. $0.11 a linear ft. Total cost $24.
2x6 footing - leftovers from a local building project. $FREE
"anti dig" pavers - The whole thing sits on 6x14 2" thick pavers reclaimed from a walkway on my property and replaced with 3/4 minus (which we preferred). We would have otherwise thrown them out.. sooo $FREE
The biggest costs other than those were 2x4s and hardware cloth. Cost for the hardware cloth was about $65 for enough to do the whole thing.
Here's the final result:
Here's a view toward the end of the build. Sorry I suck at taking pictures. I should have taken some earlier in the build.
A view from above. The coop is among my raised beds so the girls get to help me with tilling while they scratch for bugs and worms.
I'll admit, I had some help. I just missed the shot of Peanut (the Buff Rock) sitting on the cross bar of the tool carrier. She thought she was pretty cool.
So, final tally:
Roof: $33
Siding: $24
Hardware Cloth: $65
Wood: $50
Roof screws: $10
Misc: (HC staples, hinges, handles, slide lock, etc.) $25
Total cost: $207
So... the proof is there! With a little scouting, skills, and elbow grease, you too can have a safe place for your chickens to call home!
Future plans include adding a nest box on the main coop door so that the girls have a place to lay when they grow up. Right now they're happy hanging out in the pine shavings inside and of course, kicking them through the entry hole in the floor. They also still don't quite know what to do with the roost bar inside, but I'm sure they'll figure that out at some point. I also plan to add a custom made feeder bin and an an auto waterer that gets filled by rainwater collected from the roof. I'll post pics of those when I update.
P.s. No chicken wire was used in this coop. Please don't endanger your newly raised chicks by using chicken wire to cut costs in building your coop. This has been a public service announcement.
I landed on a 4ft by 6ft coop and run combo that cost just about $200 to build from locally sourced and mostly reclaimed materials.
Roof: purchased locally directly from the roll forming company. Cut to length so allI had to do was screw it onto the roof trusses with screws with the neoprene washers. $11 per 36in wide panel. WAHOO!
Cedar siding: reclaimed seconds from a building supply company that was about to throw it out or burn it. $0.11 a linear ft. Total cost $24.
2x6 footing - leftovers from a local building project. $FREE
"anti dig" pavers - The whole thing sits on 6x14 2" thick pavers reclaimed from a walkway on my property and replaced with 3/4 minus (which we preferred). We would have otherwise thrown them out.. sooo $FREE
The biggest costs other than those were 2x4s and hardware cloth. Cost for the hardware cloth was about $65 for enough to do the whole thing.
Here's the final result:
Here's a view toward the end of the build. Sorry I suck at taking pictures. I should have taken some earlier in the build.
A view from above. The coop is among my raised beds so the girls get to help me with tilling while they scratch for bugs and worms.
I'll admit, I had some help. I just missed the shot of Peanut (the Buff Rock) sitting on the cross bar of the tool carrier. She thought she was pretty cool.
So, final tally:
Roof: $33
Siding: $24
Hardware Cloth: $65
Wood: $50
Roof screws: $10
Misc: (HC staples, hinges, handles, slide lock, etc.) $25
Total cost: $207
So... the proof is there! With a little scouting, skills, and elbow grease, you too can have a safe place for your chickens to call home!
Future plans include adding a nest box on the main coop door so that the girls have a place to lay when they grow up. Right now they're happy hanging out in the pine shavings inside and of course, kicking them through the entry hole in the floor. They also still don't quite know what to do with the roost bar inside, but I'm sure they'll figure that out at some point. I also plan to add a custom made feeder bin and an an auto waterer that gets filled by rainwater collected from the roof. I'll post pics of those when I update.
P.s. No chicken wire was used in this coop. Please don't endanger your newly raised chicks by using chicken wire to cut costs in building your coop. This has been a public service announcement.
