Coop Design/Build on a Budget

[DadOfFour]

So, I'm looking to build a coop for about 8-10 hens, and I'm trying to do this on a budget. When I say budget I mean REALLY tight budget. A few requirements:
I live in Indiana so it's got to be able to handle our winters.
I take my children out of town every summer for a week, it's got to be big enough that the chickens can safely survive inside the coop while I'm gone since nobody in the area will help me with them.

What do y'all suggest?

 

[mikecnorthwest]

Something like the Garden Coop but using recycled materials. You can only go so cheap and still have a decent coop that will last.

http://www.thegardencoop.com

 

[jeepguy982001]

theres been alot about people making pallet coups lately. I built mine mostly out of scraps my neighbor (construction worker) would bring me after a job was finished. Good luck finding something that works for you.

 

[DadOfFour]

I like the looks of that garden coop one, my only concern with a tall skinny design like that is the high winds that I get here on my property, I'd be afraid it would blow the thing over?

 

[ChixChic]

I am also looking for a decent cheap coop. I also like the Garden Coop, but we get some good winds here too. I immedtiately thought of how the wind will probably catch that roof and the coop will go flying! Unless there is a good way to tie it down? Hmm...

 

[DadOfFour]

I am also looking for a decent cheap coop. I also like the Garden Coop, but we get some good winds here too. I immedtiately thought of how the wind will probably catch that roof and the coop will go flying! Unless there is a good way to tie it down? Hmm...

I was thinking more about it, and thought about essentially tent stakes but we routinely get sustained winds of 35mph+ and gusts of 50+ and I think there's probably too much surface area for that sort of tie down. I guess I could do cinder blocks on each side with a rope run over the top, but I don't know how well that will work either......