Okay it seems everyone makes a version of this with almost no money. We wanted ours to me movable but very solid; trust me even a 9.0 earthquake will not knock this baby down. Washable with plenty of airflow yet tight enough to keep possum and raccoon paws out when our girls were sleeping.
Cost for ours: $200 not including any cost of the many hours we spent making decisions.
Used playhouse: $40
Used toy bin: $20
Paint and stencil: $15
Laying 'boxes': $5 plus Velcro to secure them in place (hens don't like movement)
Rope to make handles for moving
Wood for base and ramp:
Wood Shims for ramp
Lattice for details: $20
Roosting bar: $10
L brackets: $40
Screws and shims: $20
2 locks (so far):$10
Wire: $: 10
Small mesh as we have lost hens before and know if predators can get their paw in and touch a roosting/ sleeping hen she won't have a chance.
We also used small mesh for the 'floor' so predators and mice can't burrow under the house yet it can be hosed down for easy cleanup. By adding rope handles so it can be carried (allowing one to collect fresh manure for composting) and moved to new spots for anyone wanting to take advantage of tractoring. If we had a larger yard that would be our ideal practice. Now we are trying to see if we can sell this for what it has cost plus a few bucks, when it seems everyone says this is cheap and easy online.
We may just keep this cuter Little coop and ditch the boring wooden one....
This is a project we started 18 months ago, only to abandoned it because we needed to move our hens to our new house and didn't have tons of time for a project. In the end we ended up spending $150 on a used bur fully assembled basic coop and attaching an old swing frame (to build a run) and then using dog kennel panels $200 to build a fenced in area for our hens to roam. I will include some pictures of this as well. The pin wheels are to deter crows from landing and stealing food. We have also added string across the top of the fences, it crosses from one side to the other and has also helped keep the crows and squirrels from coming around.
Cost for ours: $200 not including any cost of the many hours we spent making decisions.
Used playhouse: $40
Used toy bin: $20
Paint and stencil: $15
Laying 'boxes': $5 plus Velcro to secure them in place (hens don't like movement)
Rope to make handles for moving
Wood for base and ramp:
Wood Shims for ramp
Lattice for details: $20
Roosting bar: $10
L brackets: $40
Screws and shims: $20
2 locks (so far):$10
Wire: $: 10
Small mesh as we have lost hens before and know if predators can get their paw in and touch a roosting/ sleeping hen she won't have a chance.
We also used small mesh for the 'floor' so predators and mice can't burrow under the house yet it can be hosed down for easy cleanup. By adding rope handles so it can be carried (allowing one to collect fresh manure for composting) and moved to new spots for anyone wanting to take advantage of tractoring. If we had a larger yard that would be our ideal practice. Now we are trying to see if we can sell this for what it has cost plus a few bucks, when it seems everyone says this is cheap and easy online.
We may just keep this cuter Little coop and ditch the boring wooden one....
This is a project we started 18 months ago, only to abandoned it because we needed to move our hens to our new house and didn't have tons of time for a project. In the end we ended up spending $150 on a used bur fully assembled basic coop and attaching an old swing frame (to build a run) and then using dog kennel panels $200 to build a fenced in area for our hens to roam. I will include some pictures of this as well. The pin wheels are to deter crows from landing and stealing food. We have also added string across the top of the fences, it crosses from one side to the other and has also helped keep the crows and squirrels from coming around.