Well, much to my absolute shock, it looks like I will have $900 to build a coop and run for chickens in my yard within the next month or so. I built a coop two months ago, a ramshackle affair that even though it was ugly, I was sure was sturdy. It wasn't. It only takes one small flaw, and 14 of my 23 birds were killed in one night. So this time, with this unexpected blessing of money to rebuild, I want to do it absolutely right.
So, um, how do I go about doing that? I want to make this money stretch as far as I can to make the the best coop ever for my chickens. I don't care if it's pretty, but it must be comfortable and safe. I want my chickens to have a large secure run. I am perfectly willing to use scavenged materials to stretch my budget, but will not cut corners on "impenetrable-ness." I have an old shed that I turned into a coop on my property already, and I'm trying to decide if it would be better to patch it up (that would be a LOT of patching) or just start from scratch. (in which case what do I do with my shed?) All building will have to be done by myself and my 14 year old son, with a lot of help/interference from my younger children. We don't have special tools, but we do have a circular saw and power drill. My ground is gravel and clay, for the most part; it used to be a parking/storage unit area. Grass is beginning to grow there. I would like to plant some hardy fruit trees and pest-repellent herbs in containers.
Any ideas, suggestions, or even plans you can give me/point me too? I plan on filling this coop with 30 chickens, and maybe someday geese/turkeys/geese, and we are wanting to raise rabbits too so the more multipurpose it is the better. But my absolute limit money-wise is $900.
I'm very excited. Thanks in advance for any inspiration you can offer!
So, um, how do I go about doing that? I want to make this money stretch as far as I can to make the the best coop ever for my chickens. I don't care if it's pretty, but it must be comfortable and safe. I want my chickens to have a large secure run. I am perfectly willing to use scavenged materials to stretch my budget, but will not cut corners on "impenetrable-ness." I have an old shed that I turned into a coop on my property already, and I'm trying to decide if it would be better to patch it up (that would be a LOT of patching) or just start from scratch. (in which case what do I do with my shed?) All building will have to be done by myself and my 14 year old son, with a lot of help/interference from my younger children. We don't have special tools, but we do have a circular saw and power drill. My ground is gravel and clay, for the most part; it used to be a parking/storage unit area. Grass is beginning to grow there. I would like to plant some hardy fruit trees and pest-repellent herbs in containers.
Any ideas, suggestions, or even plans you can give me/point me too? I plan on filling this coop with 30 chickens, and maybe someday geese/turkeys/geese, and we are wanting to raise rabbits too so the more multipurpose it is the better. But my absolute limit money-wise is $900.
I'm very excited. Thanks in advance for any inspiration you can offer!