Getting a budget idea

[lutherpug]

Im trying to set up a budget for building a coop and getting started. How much straw would it take to cover a 4x6 coop with 3 1x1 nest boxes. Ive heard it should be about 6 inches deep. Also, roughly, how much feed could 5 or 6 hens go through?

Building a coop will be your most significant cost by far. Ours was death by 1,000 paper cuts in the form of a gazillion $50-$100 trips to Lowes. It didn't help that we opted to build a retaining wall so that we didn't have to stretch our construction skills too much by building on a steep slope.

If I had to do it over again I would either buy a used shed on Craigslist or even a closeout model from a dealer and modify it. You can often find them for $500 or so. That is significantly less than our build ended up costing. Or I would build it using mostly recycled materials that you source from Craigslist, Habitat Restore, etc.

The one thing that will send you over budget in a heartbeat is not being done with your coop build and having chicks in your basement. They grow FAST and if your back is up against the wall to get them out of the house you will spend any amount of money to get the coop finished. Don't ask me how I know.....

 

[Maqui]

I have a 4 x 10 hoop coop with a dirt floor. One bale of hay covers it nicely. It may seem like a lot when you first put it down but it does compact very quickly. I prefer that over the pine shavings.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have a 4 x 10 hoop coop with a dirt floor. One bale of hay covers it nicely. It may seem like a lot when you first put it down but it does compact very quickly. I prefer that over the pine shavings.

Hi, welcome to BYC!

I use washed river sand on the floor in my coop.

And poo boards below my roost keep the floors pretty clean.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

Being so far south instead of having some kind of catch for poo I put screen under the roost that way it falls through and easy to remove from under the back of the roost

 

[snow5164]

I like my poop boards with a one inch edge , I fill them with sand and barn lime . Scoop them clean every morning

,

I found with straw my girls feet had poop on them , also straw doesn't break down it just compacts ..... not to mention all the straw/poop I got on my boots