Hello. I hope you can help me. I have a friend who wants to raise about 3 chickens but is out of work. Most coops and runs are extremely expensive and he can not afford that. Does anyone know of a company that sells a cheap small coop and run that he could purchase? I am trying to help him but every one I see is expensive. I do not know if he is handy so I do not know if mere plans will help. I hope that some individuals can pass along some helpful information. Thank you.
I would advise against a prefab, they are often overpriced, too small, poorly ventilated and often shoddily built. Perhaps some of the others will have better ideas, but hoop coops are cheap to build and fairly simple
I would try your local classifieds pr Facebook marketplace for a used coop. I have had good results that way and usually for less than a garbage pre-fab.
If your friend has access to pallets he can build a cheap coop and run himself. Both require a minimum of tools and building materials .The cheapest I was able to build one was around $500 when finished .It was covered in galvanized steel hardware cloth and a tarp to protect them from the elements and predators
Here's our Coop Forum, with tons of coops built by our members. I'd go to the small ones and bet you'll find something you could build. Many come with materials lists and instructions for how to build them.
I’m not sure where you’re located and weather makes a difference, but I have a friend who has had chickens for years in a big dog kennel with a tarp over one end. She uses 5-gallon buckets for nesting boxes.
I’m not sure where you’re located and weather makes a difference, but I have a friend who has had chickens for years in a big dog kennel with a tarp over one end. She uses 5-gallon buckets for nesting boxes.
A couple of our growout pens have similar to a doghouse for their coop.
This is one in our aviary we use when nothing else is open. It was called a dog box, something hunters haul their dogs around in. It weighed a ton. Hubby took it apart and put it back together a little differently. The front has the chicken door and that whole panel lifts up.
If these were adults, it'd be a bit too many and need roosts and a nest or two in there. But gives an idea.
This was a temporary feed shed on rented property for 3 months. It does not have wire on it meant to protect chickens.
The pallets were true 48"x48" (somewhat rare & difficult to find) - they were $2 each. This is after being purchased used, used for other projects (compost bins & A-frame for ducks), then this. The 2 CP were purchased in MT between 95-97 for $8 to $10. On at least their 4th Iteration of use & 4 property moves. Couple of t-posts, land was level where it sits. Haystring (came wrapped around round hay bales for ponies & horses) used to hold pallets together, attach CP to pallets & also secured tarps.
You can get pallets for free.
Tarps - ive bought them new, used & gotten them free.
For walls - think outside the box - feed bags opened out & stapled or tied down.
Ive seen several craft projects using t-shirts, towels, blankets & sheets dipped in cement (less $$ than wood) to make planters. Maybe dry flat & then screw into position to cover pallets or punch holes & wire up... Drink soda or juice from bottles? Use plastic? Look up Eco Bricks... I used 2 ltr bottles to make a partial wall. NOT predator proof by itself, but w/ wire it makes a wall that let's in light.
I used the sheets slated to go in the dumpster for shade & lightweight weater protection. See the weird "bumps"? Rocks wrapped in to tie down - no grommets or holes.
Find hay producers or livestock owners who have haystring on hay bales. Often they will have haystring slated for the trash. The type used for round bales will be longer & allow for larger variety of projects.
Here, ive woven haystring on a plastic Boye loom purchased from Walmart ($6 - 6 or 7 years ago...). Then as attached, folded feed bags put between rabbit cage wire & woven haystring. Worked GREAT & held up for years before needing to be replaced... Summer brooders for chicks as young as 2 weeks & later as the "coop" portion of a puppy X-pen tractor.
Check in w/ vet clinic & even rescues or animal control. Here it's easier to get various crates & pens at little to no charge than to get wood chips. They will throw them out rather than repair or repaint them. It's AMAZING!!
As to being out of work currently, have them barter physical labor for items. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't (rescues, vet clinics & animal control ALWAYS need unpaid volunteers, at least in NC. Farms, homesteads, food pantries, too. Even food pantries have foods they cant give out - volunteers usually get first choice & can feed birds that way).
I was interrupted & can't remember actual other ideas right now...
