help - i need the simplest coop idea possible

[Chick Charm]

If you take the time and hard work dismantling pallets, the end result is truly cheaper. This is just an example of what can be made from recycled pallets. ALL of the wood here is from tile pallets. The actual cost of this was in the Hardware cloth about $8 and hinges/latches $15 nails $4. So it does save to recycle and use pallets.

Using pallets does take a lot of extra work if you are taking them apart. Time is a factor when using pallets for sure. But free is always cheaper. Maybe not as time efficient.

I made this in Phoenix using material from 4 pallets.

 

[Reurra]

Ive seen people use large breed dog houses. I think it depends on where you live though. I would think a dog house would be cold in winter.

 

[newchickie2]

If I did not find this one on craigslist, my next option was a dog house. I don't see how they would be any colder than what I'm planning on using.

Chick Charm - adorable coop! We are neighbors I'm in Maricopa.

 

[gg706]

Very cute coop chick charm!
New chickie2 I am glad you got it worked out! I do think it was a good buy for $45.00....Has it been used or is it new? If it was used I would suggest cleaning it THOUGHLY with bleach and water to kill any germs from the previous chickens. So as not to pass on something to your new babies! Best of Luck!

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I think $45 is a good price for that little box hutch/coop with the liftable roof! If I were in the area I'd take some of those for my ducks. For chickens, what popped into my head was putting it up on a plastic picnic table or something with a ramp up into it (maybe shortening the legs of the table a bit?) ... less bending over, keep the wood off the ground (it gets wet here!) plus shade under the coop for the chickens to enjoy if it gets hot. I'd probably put it under an evergreen tree for shade and because the chickens love scratching in evergreen needles ...

What you need for a coop really depends on where you live and what kind of weather you get. And then you might need to account for Chicken Math.

 

[gg706]

That is the thing about having a smallish coop....it keeps me from getting too many chickens! If I had a large coop I would go crazy filling it full!

My husband would go insane! I have plans of building a large coop next year...but he doesn't know about that YET!

 

[luvmychixandducks]

Craigslist saves the day again!
Bought my coop for $60. on Craigslist and picked up a one piece dog kennel 6'x6' x6' for $75. and moved the coop so the chicken ramp goes directly into the kennel doorway.
Made minor modifications to make using this easier, but the bulk of the work was done for me.
Craigslist provided a free small family of Old English bantams to go with the pair of silkies I got here on BYC.
I have one escape artist hen- as quickly qas I put her in the lift up door over the nestboxes, she appears outside the fencing again.
I think she squeezes between the bottom of the coop and the kennel doorway- I'll add a 2x4 blocking that area as soon as the snow goes away and I can get to the underside of the coop.
Now if it would just stop snowing.........

 

[Chick Charm]

I'm glad you were able to get a coop on the cheap. It'll do the job well it looks like.

I saw the Formex or Foamex coops take NO TOOLS at all as they snap together. If you ever choose another coop maybe that way will be the best for ya. But you gotta get some friends to help you out.

Yes I was in Maricopa county. A few of my coops are dotted about in the Phoenix area. I am now however in the great state of Mississippi. Who woulda thunk it?

Best of wishes on those chicks.

 

[bruceha2000]

If I had a large coop I would go crazy filling it full!

Tell it to Leslie

We are neighbors I'm in Maricopa.

You can put your location in your profile so it shows up on your posts. Then BYCers in your area can offer to help

That is how I met Leslie, she lives not many miles from my Dad so my daughter and I went to visit when we were out to see him last month. Join BYC = make friends!

Following on Leslie's plastic picnic table idea, if you can't find one free (or even a wooden one) I suspect you could use 4 free pallets "as is" screwed together to create a box to put the coop on. Who knows, the 'skids' that are on the coop (I'm assuming it wasn't just sitting on the bottom boards for easy pick up) might drop right into the open top of a "pallet box". Take off a board or 2 on one side of the box for chicken access. Leslie is right, you'll want them to have somewhere to find shade and some shelter if it rains. Does it ever rain in the Phoenix area?

And not having to bend over to mess with the coop would be easier, even for a spry young person like you.

Also look up the Arizona thread. here on BYC. There could be one specific to your area as well though I have no idea.

Oh, and don't trust the dog around the chickens until you are ABSOLUTELY sure s/he understands the chickens are not self motivated toys. What goes for play with dogs is potential death for chickens. They might have heart failure just from a game of "chase the chickens" even if the dog never touches them.

Bruce

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

You can put your location in your profile so it shows up on your posts. Then BYCers in your area can offer to help

That is how I met Leslie, she lives not many miles from my Dad so my daughter and I went to visit when we were out to see him last month. Join BYC = make friends!

Yeah ... Bruce invited himself over (with his daughter) and I devised a plan whereby they cooked me a DELICIOUS lunch in my kitchen!

(that's me having the last laugh)

We had a really fun day chatting chickens and playing with the other pets. His daughter is such a darling I wanted to keep her here (she brought us fancy chocolates, which was a super smart move!). It is amazing how much people can have in common when you toss chickens into the mix. Now I want to go to Vermont -- after it warms up a bit! -- because there are so many fragments of unfinished conversations dangling after their visit ... we're all really good talkers! ... and Bruce has some breeds of chickens I don't.

Bruce did ask some gentle questions about how I cam to have so many chickens ... and it is chick season again ... and I'm trying not to think about the breeds they have at the feed store that I don't have in my flock yet ... there is still plenty of room in my coop ...