The Chicken Coupe
May 28, 2010
After a year's worth of collecting mostly FREE materials we are finally in the process of putting together the chicken coop!
Cinder blocks: four solid 4x8x16 blocks, one standard block - about $6 from Menards*
Base: four 8' ... I don't know what they're called; see below - free from husband's work*
Flooring: new linoleum/vinyl (?) - free from friend (Thanks Jake!)*
Lumber: 2x4's, 2x6's, plywood - free from friend (Thanks Mike!) & husband's work*
Extra Lumber: 4 sheets of plywood - $82*
Man door: new framed door - $30 on CraigsList*; door knob - $2 at flea market*
Windows: saved from our house when we replaced the windows - free*
Roof vents: saved from our house when we replaced the roof - free
Roof shingles: left in shed when we bought our cabin - free*
Nest boxes: milk crates - free from brother-in-law who works at a dairy (Thanks Danny!)
Posts for run: 4x4's - free from husband's work
Rain barrel: food-grade 55-gallon drum plus fittings - free from husband's work
Pop doors: three pulleys to open doors from outside - $3 at flea market
Ramps: conveyor belting with cleats - free from husband's work
Stairs: saved from a deck tear-down - free on CL*; two patio blocks - free from our yard*; two cinder blocks - $2.50 from Menards*
Paint: white exterior stain - $20 from the hardware store (wouldn't have made the purchase, but the moisture was warping the plywood)
The chickens will have access to the area under the coop as part of their run.
Base/floor is 8' x 9'. The door is on the north wall. North wall is 8' tall, south wall is 6' tall.
One window each for the E, S, & W walls.
Window hinges are simple rectangles cut from PVC conveyor belting and screwed in place.
*Running total: $142.50
