buying ready made or build yourself

[fiddlebanshee]

I want to build a 8x8 ft coop with a shed style roof, 8ft at the high end, 7 ft at the low end. I have thought through how to construct this, came up with a materials list and went by approximate prices from homedepot's website for a first estimate of what it would cost. Grand total, including 2 30x15 basement windows is $650 based on 2x4 construction with 19/32 OSB for walls and floors and corrugated plastic for a roof. Figure in labor to put it all together, and the fact that this would be a first building project of this scope and I'm pretty discouraged.

Perhaps I would be better off buying something ready made? This shed for instance at home depot is only $900. How difficult would it be to incorporate some windows in this and to cut out a pop door? I think I can handle the interior modifications for roosts, nestboxes etc. I would probably also need to put in some additional ventilation.

Any advise? Is my guestimate of $650 for materials too high? I am aware that I can source stuff recycled etc, but I don't have a lot of time to find this, and my re-store didn't have an awful lot of useful materials.

 

[LarryPQ]

Make it yourself. There are tons of other designs for coops out there. Most folks manage to build their coops for under $100. Have you browsed the coop design section?

 

[LarryPQ]

Also

 

[fiddlebanshee]

An 8x8 foot coop for under $100? I have no idea how one would accomplish that, unless one would get materials for free or almost free, which I have no access to, and yes, I did look at the coop design section.

 

[bigstack]

Right now I am almost done with an 8x8 coop for bout $200. I got 13 sheets of tin and all the timber from a neighbor. he was tearing down a shed. I got it all for $50. All I had to buy was the 8 sheets of plywood and some screws. Thats the other $150. I have 16) 16x16x16 nest boxes. and 6) 7 ft. roosts and 1) 8 ft. roost on top. I will post some pics tonight when I get home. Its ugly now but for $200 who cares. It will look great when all painted and the roof tin is trimmed. Right now its still way too long. 2 vents in each eve, 1 access door at the end of the roosts for clean out, 2 pop doors at the pen end, and thinking of addind 2 windows.
Try craigs list or thrifty nickle!


Good luck and God Bless!

 

[shopchicks]

Look on your local Craigslist. There are always lots of building materials on there, and if you keep an eye out, you can probably snag a shed for $300 or so, and will save yourself a lot of work on starting from scratch. You can also use pallets as your frame, for a cheap source of building material - won't look like pallets once you put the siding over it. Do a search on here for pallet coop and you'll see several nice examples.

 

[fldiver97]

If you really are pressed for time and do not have access to free or inexpensive material (any construction sites nearby? Sometimes you can check with the crew and get some material.....Craiglist or your local paper for a shed or similar sturcture?).... If the looks are important etc you may want to find a shed or shed kit. I converted my old gardenshed, 8x12, no windows, no vents, lots of old shelves and a ratty floor. I found some shed/playhouse windows and installed them, cut ot a popdoor, pulled out all the shelves but two, bleached and washed inside and then installed a roost with a poopboard, used old nightstand without drawers for nestboxes and installed a few screened vent high up. Oh, and I found wood flooring at Habitat ReStore for a few dollars and laid it over the old floor. I have 10 thumbs but managed well (a bit crooked on the front windows) and painting the inside was fun and easy, mixed a bunch of leftover paint and the chooks are happy. If I would have not had the shed, I think I would have bought one or ashed kit unless I could have found someone to build one inexpensively..... Just my experience but then I don't have the skills or tools to do much

 

[AnnainMD]

Quote:
Hi there! I'm in Eldersburg and we actually went out the the Re-Store in Frederick as well, and they had zip, zilch, nadda! We found a sliding window at Home Depot on clearance, $60 bucks maybe? Other than that we ordered our wood from a local wood merchant/mill, because they deliver and we have no way of getting large sheets of plywood to the house. My husband has been working on it since Friday and it looks fantastic--I'll post pics tonight.
As for options, I agree with checking out Craigslist which I did but no one had anything (I was looking for several months in the Baltimore, Frederick and DC lists). Maybe check out Freecycle too?
Our coop is 4x8, I would agree with your price estimate. But we get to build what we want and everything is the way I want it. I remember reading some postings from people who had modified a shed and found it very irritating and not as easy as they would expect. Don't know why though.

Have to say, planning the coop was frustrating at times but mostly FUN.