I need a cheap coop

[aimeeinwv]

Sorry! forgot to leave web address - please everyone! check it out!!!

http://www.freecycle.org/

 

[Pullet Pimp]

Too bad you didn't live closer to Ohio. I have a pretty nice 8x16 shed that I listed pretty cheap in the "everything else buy/sell/trade" that would make an excellent coop for someone.

I agree with the pallets if you can find them. I have seen some pretty nice coops from pallets. Good luck in your search.

 

[Tala]

If you aren't already inclined to scrounge for "junk" then become friends with someone who is

Know anybody who collects anything and everything?? Usually they're outgoing and frieindly, so make friends. hehehehe
You might learn a "skill". I walk my dog and make note of all the interesting stuff set out by dumpsters, then drive back to get it. OR drive him around town and he can look while I concentrate on the road.

My father and law collects EVERYTHING he can from dumpsters and roadsides and wherever. Some of the things truely are JUNK, but I don't care, it's his yard he puts them in. I got 4 big posts from him and a bunch of 2x4's, plus some tin, all for free for my new chicken coop. Because I hang out with him is where I met Bob of "Rusty Acres" the scrap yard where I managed to get lots of fence and coop supplies on the cheap. Not only that I used him (my father in law) for labor - I made him carry 80lb bags of Quickcrete for me - so far the price of my coop has been $6 and some change for the concrete to set the posts, plus about $10 for more nails and screws.
I also have had a pallet that I "stole" from his yard for a back gate on my deck for about 2 years. I'm hoping to "upgrade" to a chainlink one so my doggy can see out better, but the pallet has served us well and the price was right. He also gets free 5 and 3 gal plastic food grade buckets, with lids, from the Wal-Mart bakery. I love buckets! I have no idea where he turned up a plastic barrel, but that's what I compost in. People always charge for them on Craiglist, but mine was free from my father in law.

 

[michickenwrangler]

If you only have a few birds, perhaps you could adapt a large doghouse for them.

A truck cap with a wooden base could work too

 

[sashurlow]

Just an odd thought but instead of taking things out of a dumpster, any body ever consider using a dumpster (garbage can to be exact). Tip over a plastic garbage can and cut a hole in the lid. A small tarp to finish it off. Stick the whole thing in a predator proof run and don't worry about the close-able door.
Just a thought...
Scott

 

[5littlechickens]

Good idea for the garbage can and it's tall enough for a roost too. Right now my 5 banties are spending their night time hours in a giant dog crate, it's one of the plastic ones with the metal door and side vents. Since the top can be removed from the bottom, I sandwiched a roost in between the two halves and draped a tarp over the top to keep rain out of the side vent areas. The crate's about 3 feet long and at least 2 and half feet tall. I got the crate off of freecycle several years ago and it has been used by two dogs and now the chickens. I'm in the process of putting back together a small wooden chicken house that I also received from freecycle, so I definitely recomend checking that out.

Jody

 

[chickmama320]

So last Sunday I went scrounging around out back yard. Hubby had bought and started cutting wood when I got the chickens back in the spring. Some how it had ended up all over the yard. So I ended up haivng just enough 2x4s. I'm actually basicly building this coop

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=3951-2StoryCoop

I'm just making it 3foot by 5foot since those are the sizes that I have cut already. I have all of the framing done and I alread have the wire on the bottom and on door on it so far. I've been busy with work this week (and the 21month old humand child once I get home from work). I need to get two more 1x3s. The next thing I need to get is the plywood. One thing that sucks the most is the fact that I don't have a truck. I have a honda civic and my husband has and vw jetta. So my plan is to measure the exact size of my sides today and go to Lowe's and have them cut my plywood for me and just hope and pray that it fits in my trunk- hopefully I can leave the baby with the hubby and fold down the back seats to give me some more room. I'm not sure how to make the ramp though. I am using chicken wire and wanting to do that for the bottom like this person did, however I'm afraid of the "rough" edges hurting the chickens.

 

[2txmedics]

check this out!!!! Its an EASY STEP BY STEP how to make a coop out of Pallets when you click on each picture labeled PHOTO 1, PHOTO 2..it shows the picture detailed...I loved it and its the best so far for pallet coops...the first one is a storage building which I would for a coop just leave it open in some areas for a coop and use the side enclosed for storage of feed and chicken accessor.

The very last link at the bottom on this page is the coop...for me that coop is not a good one, I have a larger flock and want more...

I would use the first one and use it as a coop but maybe not as tall.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/palletshed.html
and with pallets FREE ON CLs ALL DAY LONG EVERY DAY...wow, just the bolts, and maybe bricks for the bottom is needed.

 

[txchickie]

Quote:
This is amazing! We have access to TONS of those pallets, it would be a nearly free coop.

What a great idea!

 

[toxo]

If you can find any plastic pipe, you could bend up some semi circles and bury the ends in the ground. Then cover with some kind of tarp with chicken wire over the top and fix both the tarp and the chicken wire to the hoops with cable ties and wire.

Paul