Desperate for help

[angieand3rs]

We are getting our flock of 8 chicks next week and I'm desperately trying to figure out what to do for a coop. We have $150 budget, no carpentry skills, almost no tools except for a hand saw and a hammer and no supplies.

Suggestions?

 

[Judy]

Where do you live? If you are not in a snow area, you will need a much less closed off structure than in, say. south Texas. Actually, in summer even in the northern states, you will need plenty of breeze and shade for them.

I would suggest you start checking local Craig's list offerings right away. Also, see if there is any construction around, esp. new homes, in your area that won't mind if you haul off scrap wood.

They need a lot of ventilation even in Canada, which is where the member who wrote the excellent article on coop ventilation linked in my signature line lives.

If you live down where I do, this thread will be of interest to you:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/163417/please-show-me-your-hot-weather-coops

Good luck!

 

[sezua]

To be quite honest, it will be hard to buy something that is predator proof for that amount. So much of the coops online are pretty flimsy so check reviews. You can try a brooder hutch TSC sells for $125 but I wouldn't trust it to be outside by itself. We purchased it for our already enclosed run and still felt like it needed to be reinforced with extra hardware cloth on the panels. Raccoons can pull apart chicken wire and hardware cloth is expensive. You may want to wait on your chicks until you have something solid constructed.

 

[City farm]

We are getting our flock of 8 chicks next week and I'm desperately trying to figure out what to do for a coop. We have $150 budget, no carpentry skills, almost no tools except for a hand saw and a hammer and no supplies.

Suggestions?

Awesome, what breeds are you getting? In the beginning you will be keeping them in a brooder, which can be a card board box.. We kept them indoors so we could handle them a ton.. We want our flock to be friendly and easy to handle when we do a health check on them.. Looking for mites and bumble foot, ect... There is a coop Fourm on here.. Look at others for idea's.. We have a bulk trash pick up here and people are always tossing out free lumber.. You would just need to build it to house them from preditors.. What preditors do you have in your area? Hawk's can be very distructive, so having a run covered with bird netting is important.. Also, look up your state on here & join in, they will offer some idea's, plus meeting others close by is good to have in a time of need.. Our Fourm here in AZ get together for potlucks, seed exchange & chicken talk..

 

[ChickenGuy9999]

When they get older a big plastic coop is good.

 

[tcstoehr]

Do you have a garden shed? Or a porch or outdoor staircase with room underneath? Could you section off a piece of garage?

 

[angieand3rs]

Thank you for your responses! We are in western North Carolina.

We are getting 3 buff orpingtons, 4 barred rocks, and 1 sl Wyandotte. We have a car port we could maybe use? It would need to be enclosed though...