Building My First Ever Coop and Run

[BlindLemonChicken]

Barnevelders and Wyandottes should have the shorter combs. It’s the Orpingtons I’m not sure about so you would have to do some research. Some have single combs. I’ve had a few lavenders and Australorps but they all had single combs. So I’m not a good source of Orpington specifics but chances are someone else here is

 

[AdaliaStark]

Okay! Thank you!

 

[AdaliaStark]

Well this is an update that been awhile in the making. My cousin that has been helping me with creating the plans for my coop and run(and an unrelated car) has been giving me nothing but silence since August. So I have no idea what is going on with anything he is helping me with, as he won't answer me when I try to reach out to him. At this point I truly don't know when anything will happen.

Plus my mental health has been pretty up and down these past few months, but it was getting better recently till a new chronic health issue I'm going to a dermatologist for tomorrow, cropped up worse than usual.

To be honest I'm just upset and disappointed that my cousin is ignoring me, as I have no idea what to do now.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I’m sorry you’re dealing with all this. It sounds overwhelming. As someone whose husband built many chicken runs and updated many coops and then swore one day he was never building anything for a chicken again…my advice is to buy a used coop from FB Marketplace or similar. Sometimes you might think you want a particular feature but end up changing your mind after keeping chickens for a while so it might be easier to start out with a very basic list and get something sturdy but inexpensive to start. I have found many decent used coops through classified ads

 

[AdaliaStark]

I’m sorry you’re dealing with all this. It sounds overwhelming. As someone whose husband built many chicken runs and updated many coops and then swore one day he was never building anything for a chicken again…my advice is to buy a used coop from FB Marketplace or similar. Sometimes you might think you want a particular feature but end up changing your mind after keeping chickens for a while so it might be easier to start out with a very basic list and get something sturdy but inexpensive to start. I have found many decent used coops through classified ads

Thank you, it is pretty overwhelming to be honest.

I will take a look on FB Marketplace and other classified ads to see what I can find, given that my city wants the mesh screening used in the run to be buried underneath it, I won't be able to do anything till the spring due to the ground being frozen now. But I can at least see what is available in my area and what the prices are like.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Thank you, it is pretty overwhelming to be honest.

I will take a look on FB Marketplace and other classified ads to see what I can find, given that my city wants the mesh screening used in the run to be buried underneath it, I won't be able to do anything till the spring due to the ground being frozen now. But I can at least see what is available in my area and what the prices are like.

Prices now will be better than spring when everyone is looking for a coop. If you find something now you can always bury the hwc apron in the spring

 

[AdaliaStark]

Prices now will be better than spring when everyone is looking for a coop. If you find something now you can always bury the hwc apron in the spring

Ahh, okay, will keep that in mind. Thank you!

 

[AdaliaStark]

So I've been looking on FB Marketplace and while I'm seeing alot of used and, surprisingly, new chicken coops with attached runs; alot of them do not include measurements and knowing how specific the dimensions are for my city I truly do not know if just building my own or working with like someone who creates plans to modify something for my needs would be better. It's why my cousin was creating plans for me, cause the cities requirements are so specific and I think pretty odd as far as requirements go that I might have to build my own regardless? I am still going to keep looking on FB Marketplace though, just in case I can find something.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Another option is the one I actually did this time around and that’s to find someone who builds custom coops. This can be a little tricky because there are a lot of expensive pre-fab coops out there that are quality builds material-wise but not really ideal with respect to things like ventilation. They can also be over-the-top fancy. But if you look for a while you might find someone local who builds coops and does so for a reasonable price. That’s what I did then paid a bit extra to have it delivered.

 

[AdaliaStark]

Another option is the one I actually did this time around and that’s to find someone who builds custom coops. This can be a little tricky because there are a lot of expensive pre-fab coops out there that are quality builds material-wise but not really ideal with respect to things like ventilation. They can also be over-the-top fancy. But if you look for a while you might find someone local who builds coops and does so for a reasonable price. That’s what I did then paid a bit extra to have it delivered.

I may honestly have to look into doing this as sure it will be more money up front but it will let me get something that suits the requirements of my city while also being built well. I can use FB Marketplace to find someone local to me that builds coops while being reasonably priced, as I did find someone a several hours drive from me that custom builds coops for $1k but that is a bit outside my price range at the moment but I can always save up for it in case I can't find anyone really local to me.