Building a cop cheap?

[nanirose]

Sooo...I have 13 chicks. 10 of them are 4 weeks old and 3 were bought today LOL. I need food and came away with more chicks to eat that food.

When we got the first chicks I thought that DH would be building me the coop. Well now he has had a medical emergency so the money is spent and he isn't able to build it for me. He isn't even around to help supervise. He had to move to another area to be closer to a hospital and is waiting for a heart transplant.

So I need some ideas of how to build fairly inexpensive coop. I have no building skills at all. I can sew anything lol but I don't think that is going to help me. My 16 year old DS is going to help me. He has helped dad in the past, but not enough to really develop any real skills. It was more of fetching and holing type of help.

So can anyone give me some clues for cheap supplies and an easy formate to build. PLease and thank you.

 

[lux_interior]

The only expensive wood you really need to buy are the four to five 2x4's that touch the ground. Those will need to be pressure treated so they don't rot, and depending on the length you need, they are like $4 a piece. The rest, I say use any wood you can find, stuff being thrown out, or look around on craigslist for plywood, I got mine that way for $3 a sheet instead of the $12 a sheet in stores.... You can also look on craigslist for people getting rid of fencing or dog cages, although poultry netting is relatively inexpensive..I got a 4' by 50' roll (which was all i needed for my coop) for $31 at menards.

Hopefully this was some help? I would hit up craigslist for sure, and ask around if anyone you know is throwing stuff out or has any materials. You can even try asking on here if there's anyone in your area who has extra supplies? Hell, where do you live? I have extra wood from making mine.

 

[Its Just Us Chickens]

I've seen where someone took some pallets and used them to make a frame for a 3 sided shelter. Then filled in the frame with hay. If I remember correctly the outside was covered in tarp and the inside with old sheets????? Something like that. It seemed like it would be really easy to make.

We had to do ours cheaply too. And honestly the very first shelter we had fro them was some kitchen cabinets pulled out of an old house. DH pulled the doors off, mounted them on the wall of the shed and fixed a hole for them to get in it.
Now they're inside the shed. And our shed is actually an old 12x40 trailer house. We were able to buy it and have it moved to our land for hardly anything at all. No way we could have built something for what this cost us.
In the smallest room in the trailor (it's really small, chicken sized) we ripped out the carpet, made sure everything in there was chicken safe.

Then one the outside we cut a hole for the chicken door and put up a ramp. One the inside there was no door or wall going into that room. So where you would expect the wall to be, we covered that in chicken wire about 3/4 of hte way, and put the folding closet door over the rest of the opening as the human door. Where the closet is (which is now wide open because we took the doors down) we put up a pole for them to roost on. On the other wall we fixed up milk crates (we already had on hand) as nesting boxes. Put down a fresh layer of pine chips, and a little hay for nesting, and viola-- a chicken coop. And we didn't have to buy anything but a roll of chicken wire.

 

[sangel4you]

I dont know where you are, but there is a guy close to me that had originally 80 (idk if that number is down now or not but I know he still has some) 8x10' wooden garage doors for the taking. That is where I am getting my wood too because unexpected expenses came up and the coop money is gone. The only thing we really need to buy now is 4x4s and 2x4s and hinges, and hardware cloth. Still an expense but I am trying to find some of that free as well, and am grateful to not have to buy the plywood. MY chicks will be 7 weeks old tommorrow...so this MUST fall into place Lol my house is becoming a chicken house! Just an idea depending on where you live.

 

[joebryant]

Nanirose, where do you live? It's possible that someone on here who lives near you will help you build it. I will if you live close to me.

 

[georgialee]

I would look on craigslist for doghouses or sheds that you can modify into coops. I've seen a couple of very large doghouses in my area for around $100 and I'm sure you could talk someone down too. Make sure you check for coops too - you never know!

 

[tree13ag]

also, check into companyies in your area that might be giving away "FREE" shipping crates. these can easily be turned into simple coops. this is my current incarnation....moving from the doghouse on a "horribly constructed" frame & a wire dog crate to separate/introduce the chicks once we graduated from the brooder

 

[Far North Queenslander]

Check out builders in your area. Their idea of rubbish is usually our idea of the perfect size.

 

[Slywoody]

Do you have any junk cars or trucks at your place? I know it sounds crude but i've had to do it in my day. Crack the windows a tad for ventilation, Any or all doors are self-explanatory. I pull the seats out too. Walla!! Chicken coop. Just add a few posts and some chicken wire and you are all set. Good Luck Woody

 

[georgialee]

Quote:
I second this. You can get whole sheets of plywood, 2x4's, shingles and much much more at construction sites. Just make sure you ask someone first. They have to pay someone to haul it away so most times they will be more than willing to let you take whatever you need.