How do I cut costs?

[Alex S]

I'm looking at these coop plans, I'm interested. But they seem expensive. How can I save money on this?

 

[Ruby Rogue]

You could cut costs by using some salvaged materials, like pallets for instance.

 

[Kholts]

Search you local buy/sell Pages (craigslist, kijiji, Facebook)daily to find scrap materials. Window, shingles, wood peices. You may be able to find a lot of it for free or at reduced prices.

 

[3KillerBs]

I agree about looking for salvaged materials to save money.

I want to note, however, that the plans you are looking at are SEVERELY lacking in appropriate ventilation and would need modification to meet the usual recommendations for healthy chicken housing.

That is, for each adult hen:

4 square feet of space in the coop,
10 square feet of space in the run,
1 linear foot of roost,
And 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation -- which is best located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

Since you're in a wet climate, consider soffit and ridge ventilation with generous roof overhangs and top-hinged windows so that you don't have to close them against rain.

Alternately, consider a monitor roof.

My Little Monitor Coop came through Hurricane Florence bone-dry. (The article contains details of how to frame a monitor).

 

[Alex S]

I agree about looking for salvaged materials to save money.

I want to note, however, that the plans you are looking at are SEVERELY lacking in appropriate ventilation and would need modification to meet the usual recommendations for healthy chicken housing.

That is, for each adult hen:

4 square feet of space in the coop,
10 square feet of space in the run,
1 linear foot of roost,
And 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation -- which is best located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

Since you're in a wet climate, consider soffit and ridge ventilation with generous roof overhangs and top-hinged windows so that you don't have to close them against rain.

Alternately, consider a monitor roof.

View attachment 2588759

My Little Monitor Coop came through Hurricane Florence bone-dry. (The article contains details of how to frame a monitor).

Yeah I decided to do this chicken coop, https://myoutdoorplans.com/animals/easy-chicken-coop-plans/

 

[aart]

Yeah I decided to do this chicken coop, https://myoutdoorplans.com/animals/easy-chicken-coop-plans/

A bit bigger, still lacking in ventilation.
Modify the rafters to sit on top of walls and overhang by 12" leaving an open soffit area for year round ventilation.

 

[aart]

How can I save money on this?

Get someone else to pay for it!
Sorry, couldn't resist.

Keeping chickens is cheep, providing housing them is not.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Use metal roofing and screws on purlins, instead of plywood, paper, shingles and roofing nails. Wood costs right now are at historic highs. Assuming no success in acquiring cheap pallets, you can also consider using PVC or polycarbonate for walls, or roofing steel. Long term durability is questionable on the PVC and poly, as is its ability to predator proof vs larger critters, but you should be close to $1/sq ft on many PVC and thin metal (5v profile) panels, polycarbonate closer to $1.25, where 1/2" exterior plywood is between $1.30 and $1.45/sq ft in my area. (In plastic roof panels, the clear is usually polycarbonate, the rest are PVC - for UV resistance, darker PVC is better).

Hardie Board Panels, which I like, are also running $1/sq ft - but they are heavy and hard on tools, so I'll only recommend if you have the tools or you have very few cuts.

 

[Alex S]

Get someone else to pay for it!
Sorry, couldn't resist.

Keeping chickens is cheep, providing housing them is not.

At the cost of plywood? That would never happen

 

[Alaskan]

I'm looking at these coop plans, I'm interested. But they seem expensive. How can I save money on this?

Are you on the rainy side of Washington?

If so... I do not think you will like the coop that you are looking at.

That is tiny... and in a rainy climate you will need way more roofed area.

I would suggest you make a roof, as big as you can make it, and then wire the sides.

So.....

This is a great coop plan:
Etsy Coop

As for materials... scrounging is great.

Construction trash is a gold mine. Free pages of Craigslist and Facebook are good too.

But stop and ask at all Construction sites.