ideas for economical coop...

[smom1976]

Ok so I have been looking on here at coops and runs..

my oh my ....

some people have quite a bit of money to spend.

Now my husband is all for us getting our chickens.. but he doesnt want to be spending 4-6 $ per doz eggs. (inc the price of the chickens) I had some 4x4 posts laying around (ones that were too short for the fence.. put them in the ground (even one landscaping timber we somehow aquired.. I am putting chicken wire around it and we have a roll of screen we got that is going along the top. But we still need a coop.. I am wondering if anyone has any pics of economical coops.. I saw another one on here that was a basic home depot shed (ok sooooo far out of our price range) But I need some ideas as to what I can put together ... the chickens sleep in it at night but mostly on a perch right.. so that helps but how close can the nesting boxes and perchs be.. just some help for a lean too shelter for these guys... I would soo love to be able to spend buko bucks chickens but.. we are going to put $ in our house before the chicks house KWIM.. I really like the bucket idea and we have some lying around so I am going to do some of those..

 

[jnjross]

landscaping timbers $2 and pallets and well i'm still working on it, we're at the 200 mark already

poultry net is kinda high, its 10x24 with free coop and chain link fence

 

[eggzettera]

You can collect pallets for free & build..... try this link.....
http://summerville-novascotia.com:80/PalletShed/

 

[Josie]

I think you should think in terms of what you have around the place. We built out coop for next to nothing, using two fence panels and burlap. (Its a warm climate.) I love it, my husband covered the exposed end with burlap framed with found lumbar to make it look nice, and I can reach in and get the eggs without taking a step inside. It can be made predatar proof if you had wire mesh along with the burlap.

It may not be a chicken mansion, but it is neat and clean, and can be built in an afternoon.

 

[smom1976]

ohhh my wheat did I get myself into..

The chicks are in a cracked baby pool.. cost $0 (given to us)
they are using the turtles heat lamp.. cost $0
chicks neat looking rare breeds (2dead) cost $52/ for 18
I got a feeder and waterer cost $5 for both
50lb bag of chick starter cost $12
chicken mesh bought last year for around the bottom of the coop we are going to reuse field fence for the top when they get bigger cost $20

so yes I think that it is so much fun that brings the cost down a little but with the economy the way it is ... it really has to pay off a little

any ideas

I feel that I am doing a mastercard/visa comercial..

 

[CoopDelisle]

My DH and I put together a lovely coop and run, saving on using some used materials and landscape timbers for the run. However, we did have to spend a pretty penny when all said and done because we wanted to make it cute and it is in our front yard, so for resale etc...That being said, with the economy the way it is, it could all be someone else's place tomorrow. If we had to move, and I had to build again with little money, (which as I said, you never know), I would do like I do now--think outside the box. Drive around and you will be surprised that if you always keep your eyes opened, you will find stuff thrown out in the trash, leaned up against a house, shed or barn, or in a store dumpster. I have gone up to someone's house and asked if they would like to get rid of those old windows, pile of boards, etc. Just tell them you are trying to put together a chicken coop. I have had a couple people say, what will you offer, but most just say if you haul it, it is yours. And we have picked up lots of pallets to use on projects that were sitting out for the trash. You can even use those boards for a floor. My motto: where there's a will, there's a way.

 

[Carolina Chicken Man]

This style is fairly economical. I was in a bit of a crunch, because I already had chicks. If I had built before I had chicks it would have saved money. I have around$450 in the coop and run. Use landscape timbers instead of 4x4, much cheaper and both are treated.

 

[tpantali]

I will try to put up some pictures next week to share with you what we are working on.

Last year we built, with our landlords, a nice coop which they report spending over $1000 on. No way were we going down that road. We just bought our own house and actually would not spend that kind of money on coop even if we had it.

So here is how we got started. Someone listed a dog house for free on the side of the road. I went to get but it was no longer there. I contacted them to let them know. They asked what we were going to use the dog house for and told them a temp. shelter for our chickens. They said, "well come on back we have an old coop here that needs to go as well". We have used it for parts. So we got the tin roof, frame and rafters from that.

Then, we were over to some friend's house for dinner. I noticed this cute, old wood playhouse outside. Said to them, "you should get some chickens to live in there". They had no time so they asked their daughter, who happens to love our chickens, if she would donate her playhouse to our chickens and she did!

So, we are modeling the entire coop off the playhouse as we need to make it larger than what the playhouse is.

Then we found someone with 90 wood pallets for free!! We rented a truck as we do not have one and picked up about 25-30 of them. We have built the floor with the pallets and are using them for the addition on the playhouse.

I will have to figure out how much we have spent as we did buy a few 2X4s and 4X4 as the coop is raised. We also decided to go with deck blocks rather than dig down below the frost level.

I can tell you it has been a bit more challenging going with the recycled material than last years building but it is very rewarding!

 

[rhetoric]

We are also starting on what was supposed to be an economical coop. I was just going to move a barn to our property -- but so far, we're spending a fortune! Most of the foundation was free. The window was free. I got the door (full glass, double paned entry in frame) at Habitat ReHouse for $75.00. But I have a tendency to overbuild and most of my plans for thrift are down the terrlit. Probably the best way to save would be to make sure you build before you get the chickens. I don't have time to scrounge cheap lumber because the chicks are glaring at me with thier arms folded saying, "Ahem... it's getting pretty tight in this brooder, buddy." I did get a whole bunch of latches and hinges and etc. at at yard sale for real cheap. Big heavy duty (brand new) fence/gate latches for .25 a piece! But I'm probably pushing the $500 mark for my 8X12 coup. Sigh. I'll start a new coop thread in a few days.

 

[smom1976]

in the pic with the posts in the ground.. (not the next finished coop.. we have put posts in the ground like that.. in all corners and in the middle as well.. I didnt even think about just putting one more post into the ground and enclosing in that smaller area in the bigger area... this is great! Now as for the siding ... ..

i need some more ideas..

I could even put a door open to the outside to get the eggs..