Coop and run help please :)

[6oddsocks]

Hello!
So I have 0 confidence tools or talent to build my own coop and run currently. I will be making some next year when the chicks are a year old .
They are currently only a couple of days but I still dont have a coop!
I have been looking online to buy a flat pack coop and run to last a year (yes i know not ideal) until I can get myself pumped up enough to take the plunge and collect tools along the way.
I'm in the uk
Does anyone have amy recommendations or sites that are reasonable ? I dont really want to be spending 800 for something for a year .

 

[rosemarythyme]

Maybe a hoop coop? They're fairly cost efficient compared to most builds.

If you do end up buying a prefab coop don't think of it as "I don't want to waste money for only 1 year's use" - think of it as something that you can reuse in the future for brooding, isolation, etc. and aim to get something larger and better quality, so it can last for future use.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My first coop was a pre-fab with a nesting box and small run underneath. It said it was for 4 chickens, but way too small. But, I did have 4 chickens in it for a short while.

I eventually expanded it up and out, building upon the base design. I had to remove and rebuild the nesting box.

I just rebuilt my coop again after getting 6 years out of that original first coop. The only original part of the that old coop is now a second nesting box. The rest has been tossed, and I now have a very simple open coop design with two nesting boxes.

So yes, you should be able to get more than a year out of a pre-fab and re-purpose it along the way. Welcome to chickens!

I used a prefab for 2 years. It's now partially gone, but what remains is the run extension (now a rain shelter), 1 welded wire wall (screwed into current coop to hang oyster shell and grit dispensers from), 2 partial walls (which I have behind my house to keep the dogs from running to the neighbors haha), and the top roost section (now a brooder):



So yes it cost me a few hundred dollars but we've gotten good use out of it.

 

[aart]

How many birds do you have?
Finding something larger but used would be your best bet.
Or buying a shed kit.

 

[6oddsocks]

Thank you . Currently 3 polish/silkies but may get one or two more x

 

[Basia St Clair]

Hey there,

I was in the exact same boat. Had 4 chicks and didnt want to spend a fortune on a coop. I finally decide to build - you can see my article here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-elation-if-i-can-do-this-you-can-do-this.75747/

I am in US but our big box stores had pretty expensive (less than $300 US) coops for 2-4 chickens. They looked much way too small to me. I scoured the internet but the coops that looked big enough were quite expensive (near $1,000 or more)

Looking back I believe i over complicated building it. If it just for a year I agree with aart, try to find something used (I had very little luck), or build something super simple while you look for a better solution.

Good luck and keep us up to date.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

My very first "coop," was an old dog house that we modified and it really didn't take any talent. If you look on Pinterest for DIY or upcycled coops, you can find so many creative ways to turn something you already have or something you can find in a thrift store into a coop whether temporary or permanent. My favorite is the people turning old Armoire's into houses. Have fun!

 

[aart]

I'm in the uk

Oh, and.... Welcome to BYC! @6oddsocks
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[birdsrfun]

Maybe a hoop coop? They're fairly cost efficient compared to most builds.

If you do end up buying a prefab coop don't think of it as "I don't want to waste money for only 1 year's use" - think of it as something that you can reuse in the future for brooding, isolation, etc. and aim to get something larger and better quality, so it can last for future use.

My first coop was a pre-fab with a nesting box and small run underneath. It said it was for 4 chickens, but way too small. But, I did have 4 chickens in it for a short while.

I eventually expanded it up and out, building upon the base design. I had to remove and rebuild the nesting box.

I just rebuilt my coop again after getting 6 years out of that original first coop. The only original part of the that old coop is now a second nesting box. The rest has been tossed, and I now have a very simple open coop design with two nesting boxes.

So yes, you should be able to get more than a year out of a pre-fab and re-purpose it along the way. Welcome to chickens!