Cheap, Relatively Easy House Suggestions? we

[Willowstream646]

I know that sometimes you can't get a large house without paying a lot of money, but we have 11 birds and 6 babies soon to move in with the hens, and we want to get more in the future. Only problem is, we have too small of a house to fit them all. We've been looking for a mobile one we can just put into our run. We looked at Farm & Fleet, Home Depot, and Menards to see if they had any preassembled ones, or even just sheds, but the least expensive thing we could find was over $1000. Is there any way we could get one preassembled, or just easily put together(like IKEA stuff), but within a reasonable price range?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Build one yourself. Yes it takes time but you can build it so much bigger and better than any of those prefab kit coops.

 

[Willowstream646]

Build one yourself. Yes it takes time but you can build it so much bigger and better than any of those prefab kit coops.

Yeah, I know, but those projects take time, and often end up unfinished. I'm wondering if there's anything we can do in a short amount of time.

 

[Criticalicious]

One way to cut costs is to use wood pallets scavenged from Craigs List. If you're not good with basic carpentry, you might see if anyone near you builds coops for a reasonable price. They may have some already built and ready to sell. If you've got the right plans, a coop can be built in a weekend.

 

[aart]

Space is not cheap....prefab anything is going to cost you, even the stuff labeled 'chicken' that's not large enough.

Time is money,
either build it yourself spending your time and sweat equity....
...or pay for someone else to build it.

 

[Sneebsey]

I tend to build mine from scratch; it's just easier to customise them for what you and your birds need, though this does take time and effort, and begging for help with lifting and fitting. If you can have a quick hunt around for an old large shed or something like that, it can cut the time, but you'll still need to ensure there's enough ventilation, cut pop-holes, fit roosts and nest-boxes...

As @aart says, many of the prefab coops available are hideously cramped, unsuitable for the number of birds for which they are advertised, and generally aren't made to last. Try to aim for 4sq/ft per bird, taking into account any future additions.

 

[Criticalicious]

I have three pullets I'm working on integrating with my existing flock. They've gone through a month of QT and are now outside, but I needed a coop quick like you do. I made the mistake of buying a small prefab from Amazon, knowing it was only supposed to last a few weeks, but it was so flimsy that I refused to let them sleep in it even one night. Instead, found some plans on here to build a small starter coop, bought wood and supplies from Home Depot for $50 less than I spent on the prefab AND it's sturdier.

 

[Folly's place]

Hoop coops can be built fast, and can be made safe. Look up some designs in the coop section.
Good, safe coops take money and time to set up! Prefab is the worst way to go.
Mary

 

[Compost King]

Other than roofing materials, hinges and hardware cloth and screws/Nails, most coop building materials can be free. You do not even need hinges and hardware cloth if you get creative but I found often its worth the small investment. I have even used small tree trunks and bamboo poles to make walls when pallets were not available.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Check craigslist. Sometimes people will sell/give them away. You could also find an old shed someone is selling and make that into a coop. Either way its either gonna cost or sweat. We built our coop and run for under 700 bucks. Only took about 4 days or so of work with about 4 to 5 hours a day.