coop stress: will this work for 4?

[Connorrm]

Here's what I saw when I saw that space:

Forgive my terrible paint skills. I'm not sure how wide of an area you have there....but you can probably get away with minimal cutting. The red is 2x4s and the brown are plywood. The grey is hardware cloth, heh, not the prettiest.

However, I think you could do something 8ft wide (eliminating the need to cut the plywood so much) and you could use the fence and garage for two of the walls. Just frame a 2x4 frame the same height as one of the horizontal fence boards. Set a piece of plywood on top, and voila! Roof! Then you cut the plywood to fit your frame and there is your 3rd wall....add hinges and it opens for access.

Also that hardware cloth would be so easy to attach to the fencing horizontal boards with a staple gun. I really think you could build everything to your liking for less than 250 dollars. What a great space!~

 

[psyverson]

I used a bunch of found materials, nails, screws, and some chicken fencing/wire and my coop is almost
done.

Go check out a tile or hardware store, or look online on craigslist for people looking to get
rid of wooden pallets. My neighbor had a bunch and I built my coop in two days. Now just
waiting on some tin for a roof, but all in all it cost me maybe $50 bucks because I used nice deck
screws and bough some chicken wire and gravel to level out my surface.

-Pete

 

[hensandchickscolorado]

@connorrm: Can I hire you to come convert my space to a chicken dwelling! You are awesome! And you make it sound so easy!

Here's what I know so far:

I am not going to buy the amazon/ebay coop.

I am loving the toys rus playhouse a LOT, and although I don't think I can assemble it myself, well, that's what friends/neighbors are for.

How about PVC for the run? It seems cheaper & easier. I wonder if I can even find an old tent frame and concoct something.

Here's a question: Will chicken wire as a roof for the run cave in when it snows, or does the snow go through it? I'm pretty sure a wide area of hardware cloth would collapse under snow.

Also, will chicken wire (roof of run only) keep out foxes & raccoons? Maybe I should buy a big piece of corrogated metal or something and using 2x4's make a run with a roof and attach it to the very cute playhouse.

Thanks for these ideas...and feel free to tell me more thoughts if you have any!!! This is really the best forum ever!

 

[Connorrm]

If you wanted to cover the run with roofing that would be simple enough. Just lower the wall on the sidewalk side and screw the roofing into the horizontal fence beam. That would give you a nice pitch for rain/snow to run off.

The other thing I was thinking and not sure how much of it you'd like to do as I don't know your situation. Just frame out the back wall INSIDE the garage. Cut a pophole where they can go in and out. Buy a 6ft x 10ft dog kennel for 200 bucks (probably 100 on craigslist) and just use the pieces along the open side. You could put metal chicken wire on the outside so no paws can get in and attach with Zip-ties.

That would cost you even less since you'd just need to frame in a space in the garage and cover it with chicken wire. Heck, to make it even more attractive and family friendly make the top of the coop a nice workbench with the underneath chicken wired to hold in your peepers.

 

[hensandchickscolorado]

Wow, you know what's weird? There is already a waist-high shelf in there with studs holding it up. Coop is practically built already!

Can you just put a hole in a garage?!

I am going to go out tomorrow & take a picture of what I have.

Add to budget: Plane ticket for Connorrm to come build my coop...

 

[epeloquin]

I built my coop and run for less than $300. If you ask friends, family, neighbors, coworkers etc. you'll be amazed at how much lumber you can collect gratis. I found it very gratifying to build my own coop with two of my sons. Our six girls moved in a week ago and are doing great.

You can click on my BYC page and see some pics of the building process. It is VERY easy to designb your own. I would even be willing to send my design.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Try Craigslist....you can sometimes find free coops on there--or very cheap ones...sometimes a garden shed, too that can be converted for relatively cheap.

 

[boks'n'rose]

Do you have anything already in your house (or does anyone have something they could 'donate')? My coop is an old Ikea bunk bed that my Dad helped me convert; it was based on this ...
http://www.ikeahackers.net/2009/06/ikea-home-for-chicks.html
I'm also using, as a temporary coop for my new chick, an old 'safe cot'. I just put in a 'mezzanine' level for roosting and reinforced the sides with extra chicken wire and plasterboard.
I don't have any real carpentry skills so if i can do it I'm sure you can!

 

[CupOJoe42]

Friends of ours spent over $300 on a pre-made really cute coop for their 4 chickens. The wood was like balsam and with all the rain we've had, it swelled up and warped everything. You couldn't get the door open to let the chickens out. They would have been better off using that money to build their own with better materials. They also had to add extra predator proofing to the bottom. Don't know if it was a "Ware" or not, but I learn from the mistakes of others... we are building our own.

I am also of the philosophy that you wouldn't buy a car sight unseen, so why would you put a living animal in something sight unseen.

 

[georgiagail]

One thing about the toysrus playhouse and their "free shipping" claim (I was looking at that one also for a potential third coop for bantams).

Currently the "free shipping" only knocks off $20. It was cost almost another $300 to ship the darn thing....more than the initial cost of it. That put it out of my price range.

Hint; do a "search" on this list for topics such as "tacky coops", "free coops", "recycled coops", "dog house coops" ; you would be absolutely amazed at the ingenuity folks here have regarding building their coops on a budget or with limited building skills.

I'm back to eyeballing my large dog house as possible housing for the bantams.

Gail