ideas for economical coop...

[digitS']

Pvc coop, click the "Img" button and paste your url link for photobucket or other between the "

."

The problem I can see with straw bales is mice. That's also a concern I have with using straw bales for house construction. (I actually know people who live in a straw bale house but don't know them well enuf to ask if they have mice in their walls.

)

I had a problem with mice just using a deep layer of straw as litter. The mice would come out at night and eat the feed. They moved into the pigeon side of the coop where they were safe from the chickens at all times.

I killed 7 mice with the pitchfork when I cleaned the litter out of the coop and, at least, that many got away from me. I would not have enjoyed tearing the entire structure down to get at the vermin.

Steve

 

[pvc coop]

pvc 70 TEE's 20 ELBOWS Approx $60 so far
wind proof. easy to move around the yard.

 

[digitS']

Good job on posting the pictures, Pvc

!

That's quite a complex. Are you sure that chickens are smart enuf to find their way around?

Just kidding . . .

Steve

 

[chicknmania]

I don't know if there is such a thing. WE thought ok, pcv pipe; but, it's heavy duty, and with the gate and everything...$200.00 and up. Not done yet.

 

[smom1976]

Quote:
wow I thought I had a bunch of kids LOL

the PVC seems very neat because you can update when needed and add when ever.

 

[VT Chick-lit]

We are also building our chicken coop and run on the "CHEEP". I have found Craigs List and FreeCycle to be very helpful in keeping the cost down. We have about $100 into the project and we are almost done. We decided to remodle an old fishing shanty / garden shed that was rotting away at the back of our property.
I posted a request for free scrap wood on both web sites and made out like a bandit. In addition to all the wood that would be needed for the project, I was given huge tarps that I used as a vapor barrier inside the coop to stop drafts. These items came from a construction site. Since I live in an area that can get very cold (below zero) and windy, I decided that I needed to insulate my "fishing shanty/garden shed/chicken coop". I put the word out that I needed foam insulation. My sister had bits and pieces from when they built their house. She was glad to get rid of. We also had some left over as well. I wanted a window, for light in the winter. This came from another construction site that was doing a remodel.
My run came from someone who posted on Craigs List. She no longer had chickens and wanted to get rid of the fencing. For $35 I got 50 feet of 6 foot chicken wire and 9 posts ( this was my biggest expense). I even got my first two chickens for free from a post on FreeCycle! I will pick them up in two days!

 

[VT Chick-lit]

I picked up my first two hens yesterday and placed them in the new hen house. I guess they liked it because they left an egg for a present this morning in the new nesting box! Success!!!

 

[smom1976]

congrats... on the new egg

we started our coop.. I made it using old 2x4s and it is going to be 4x7 and 4 feet tall.. I am going to hopefully use the slats off of palats for the sides and we had people give us poltry netting and we had fence for the run so far we had to purchase 2 bags of concrete and 2 lanscaping timbers I will let you know if we have to purchase anymore

 

[catfish]

you want cheap, I got about $85 in my little Chicken House.
http://picasaweb.google.com/ZeCatfish/ChickenCoop
lots of pictures.
I used the cheapest ply at Lowes, the 1/4" china stuff for walls and two pallets for the floor with a simple 2x4 frame at each end, and 2x4 trusses at each end. The floor is 1/4" ply too nailed down the pallets and old linoloeum from moms house to give it some poop and weather resistance.
I roofed it with heavy plastic panels used in some warehouses instead of pallets called slip sheets.
Now I just need to paint it.

I built a ladder/stepped roost from 1x2's I hadn't added the windows yet cause its doubles as my brooder. Windows will come next week and layboxes at both ends.

 

[RayP]

I built my chicken coop under a old tree house the kids hardly use any more that took care of the roof then I got several sheets of plywood from a house that was being torn down, all I had to buy was the wire and fasteners.