Inexpensive coop ideas?

[chickenkerri]

We have one large chicken coop that we (my husband) "built" from a pre-fab storage shed. Although it's attractive, it ended up being very expensive. I want to order some more and different breeds of chickens and would like to build/buy at least two more smaller coops. My husband does not want to build another one and doesn't understand my chicken fever.

Does anyone know of an inexpensive coop that I could buy and assemble myself? I've looked at several sites but would love to have some opinions.

Thanks!!!

 

[eggzettera]

&

How are your carpentry skills? This site may help http://summerville-novascotia.com:80/PalletShed/

 

[patandchickens]

Your best bet would be to find something on Craigslist etc that someone is giving away or selling for cheap.

Alternatively, what if you just built a lean-to 'shed' type coop off either side of the existing coop? That would not require much in the way of experience or materials, and you could probably scrounge most of the materials.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[digitS']

Quote:
How 'bout if you give us an idea on either:

• what size coop you are thinking of, or

• how many chickens you would want to put in there?

Steve

 

[chickenkerri]

I need two to three "smaller" coops for 5 or 6 chickens and one larger one for @ 10 chickens

 

[digitS']

If you use the rule of thumb that a chicken needs 4 square feet indoors, the 10 chicken coop would be 40 square feet. The coops for 6 chickens would be 24 square feet.

A sheet of plywood is 32 square feet. I've made 2 coops in the past that sat beneath a roof made from a single sheet of plywood. Three walls used 2 more sheets. Plywood scraps and used windows finished the 4th side. The coops sat on the ground. So, the material for each coop amounted to 3 sheets of plywood, about 10 boards (2 by 4's), roofing, nails and hinges. These are cheap

.

I think you could make these do for 10 birds by having a plywood floor and elevating these coops above the ground. The area below the coop is then sheltered and available for the birds to use during the day. It may also be a place to put their feed and water.

Kits are available online for dog houses and backyard sheds. They may be a little pricey especially since shipping adds to the the cost

.

Dog houses aren't very hard to build but they aren't usually 24 or 32 or 40 square feet. Here are plans for one about 20 square feet and it's the largest I can find online. Adapting it for use as a small coop would only require cutting a door large enuf for you to be able to reach in for access on the opposite end from a pop door for the chickens. Elevating this dog house, would make is large enuf for 5 or 6 chickens and especially so if nest boxes were built on the exterior or below.

There are probably kits you can purchase that would be this size if you wanted the precut material.

Here's wishing you the best of luck

!

Steve

 

[what was i thinking]

look for large size dog houses on craigslist. we got a great one for 40 it had a shingled roof and everything.

 

[SandraChick]

MY chicken coop is an old dog house that I modifed the door to so I could lock it up (4' X8')- got it for free from someone wanting to trash it.

My duck coop was an old chicken coop I bought from someone on Craigslist for $10...also 4X10.

I know of an older lady who built here coop from pallets (the large kind from hot tubs). She got them all for free and with a little time and a few nails, she built a beautiful and large coop....if she can do it...anyone can.

Sandra

 

[FarmGirl01]

Here is a pic of mine. Its for a small flock of bantams.

The cost was about 150.00. Thats all new material.

 

[RendonRoo]

Just a thought i've been milling around. This won't work for me but i thought i would share the idea. I live in a mobile home subdivision and i've noticed that when a mobile gets moved out they almost always leave the porch. Most seem to be a couple of feet tall and many have a roof. These could be great framework for a small coop. Then you could add plywood or siding, a couple of windows, etc. Look around, since i've had this idea i've seen several sitting around rotting. Good Luck and think outside the box.