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.....