How cheap could I build a chicken coop and run for 6 chickens?

[Birdsong 82]

I too prefer a run I can stand up in. The general rule of thumb is 10 ft.² per chicken of run space. You could even do an 8 x 8 run so you can come right off the coop And that would give you 64 ft.². If they are going to be in there all the time you could always make it a little bigger to give them extra room but I don’t know that they would be unhappy if you couldn’t do that.

 

[Birdsong 82]

I don’t know the predator level where you live but this is what I did as far as a run that seems to hold up very well and has protected my girls for many years. At the top I put 2 x 4’s and high strength chicken netting to keep owls and hocks out The second picture is the framing for the run what’s not in the pictures yet is the 2 x 4‘s I put on the other side of the wire to Sam which the wire so it can’t be pulled away. In the last picture I stapled the wire to it just to hold it in place but then added fencing nails at an angle. You can’t pull one of those things out! Then I sandwich a Nother 2 x 4 on top just for good measure. The other picture is just showing the posts we used at the corners and how the four by fours and 2 x 4‘s are somewhat embedded into the ground and then about a foot to a foot and a half down there is a wire scored seven nothing can dig underneath Hardware by far in my opinion is probably the best thing you can use for a run but it is very pricey and our run with what we have recently added to it is about 30 x 16 and 7 foot high so we came up with A different plan. We used to buy for galvanized fencing for strength and then added a layer of chicken wire over that to make the opening smaller and we have many many predators and the dogs have alerted us of a few that were near the run but were unable to get in. This has kept my girls safe for many yea A different plan. We used to buy for galvanized fencing for strength and then added a layer of chicken wire over that to make the opening smaller and we have many many predators and the dogs have alerted us of a few that were near the run but were unable to get in. This has kept my girls safe for years And has lasted. These are just some ideas and there are tons and tons of awesome ideas for runs on this site to

 

[Birdsong 82]

As you can see in the picture there is two of the coops you can get online and you can tell that the runs on those things havent done very well. I only use them to introduce the young chickens until they are old enough to hold their own against my big girls in the big run The only reason we really have them is that one was a gift and one we got gently used for an awesome price

 

[gtighe]

The coop you sent me calls for a lot of 2x2's. I checked online at my Menard's, but I couldn't find anything longer than 8 foot. If I did it with the 8 foot ones it would cost 150 dollars just for the 2x2's. I'm very new to building so I don't know much.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Oh wow seems like lumber there must cost more than it does in Virginia. I was able to go to Home Depot and I’ll have to check the price remember getting them for a very good price when I’ve used them for other things

 

[Birdsong 82]

We have places near us once called bargain village where you can get pre-cut wood for like half price. I don’t know if you have any places like that. Or sometimes we try shopping in the imperfect wood Pile at Lowes or Home Depot because some of the pieces are not very imperfect and are very usable.What is menards? But we are also huge scavengers. LOL when I saw the neighbors were taking apart their old shed to build a new one I wouldn’t ask them if I could have the pieces of wood still intact and I’ve done things like the cabinets outside people are throwing out and taking them and putting them in the coop as nesting boxes

 

[Birdsong 82]

Is that treated or untreated wood you’re looking at?

 

[gtighe]

I'm looking at treated wood. Menard's is a big store like home depot, mostly in the mid west. My problem is that I can't find any 2 x 2's longer than 8 foot.

 

[Birdsong 82]

I thought that coop was a 4 x 8. But it’s been a couple months since I’ve looked The plans for it. At Lowe’s they have them no longer than 8 foot but at Home Depot I was able to find them a little bit longer. I’ve used untreated wood on the inside of the coop and seems to hold up well because other than just moisture in the air no more he still gets inside. I know someone who has use i at Lowe’s they have them no longer than 8 feet but at Home Depot I was able to find them a little bit longer But I’m sure it’s different in different areas. I use untreated wood for the inside. It cost less and it seems to stay in good condition because other than moisture in the air no actual moisture touches it. I might use livestock safe barn paint to paint over the inside to protect it. I know people that have used that pain and used untreated wood on the outside also. So those are also options. Because the untreated wood is almost half the price at least here as the treated wood and the livestock safe barn paint is only $15 a gallon opposed to regular exterior paint that is $30 a gallon

 

[gtighe]

I wonder if it would just be easier to build a coop with 2x4's. Ill check my local store and see what they have though.