Is it just me?

[Imp]

I just found out that a woman I work with buys surgery for people in the third world. And her teenage sons are starting to do the same. Makes me feel so inadequate, but I like a challenge.

Imp

 

[rancher hicks]

You are right Roosterjerry, it is our money. That said, it seems that your real motivation is covetedness. I am on permanent disability. I don't smoke or drink or go to the casino. I have a budget. It really isn't how much you have it's how you manage it. I go to church and pay tithe just like the bible says. I'm not perfect but that doesn't stop me from trying.
Roosterjerry, I don't know your situation, but I know they have churches in KY and I hope you'll go and ask God's help.
I was once homeless, eating in a shelter. I had no job and no money. I've spent Christmases alone in a two room apartment. I know what it's like to be hungry. I've washed dishes for a living and lived in cockroach infested apartments. I don't live in a mansion now but I am grateful to God for the home I have and tell Him often.
Don't be bothered by how much others spend on their coops. It may be a small part of their income. It is their choice.
The bible says "God loves a cheerful giver", you and I have no idea how much others give. God only requires 10% and that may be a small percentage of some peoples income.

Contentment isn't having everything you want, but appreciateing what you have. I love you and pray you go to church this coming Sunday, and have put your name on my monitor as a reminder to pray for you often. May God Help you and yours.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Mine wasn't quite that cheap - but I needed it NOT to look like a pile of junk. I live in a subdivision after all even if it is a pretty redneck one.

It turned out pretty cute I think, and so far it's worked great.

I actually have had code enforcement leave me a nasty note because of the length of my grass (when my lawnmower broke down) so they DO come around even if they aren't as picky as a HOA type thing.

 

[Judy]

There is nothing wrong with the way you have handled things. I applaud you for your resourcefulness and industriousness. There are many on here who are in the same situation, or one that is not much better.

I think perhaps your point is that it seems excessive to put hundreds or thousands into a coop when there are starving children in the world, even in one's own town. And this may be a valid point at times.

I also think that in most cases, if you read closely, you will find that the poster really did not spend an excessive amount. For example, this forum has over 30,000 members. Chickens do not tolerate heat well, and a good number of us live in the south. I'm sure someone somewhere has an air conditioner in their coop, but I have yet to read of it. (Mine would have loved it today!) And I imagine that if you could have comfortably afforded a couple of hundred for lumber, you would have bought it, rather than spending the time and energy it must have taken to scrounge it.

You also said that people should feel free to spend their money as they choose. I think if you will look closely, you will see that most of the attractive or "cute" coops were built by their owners, and that the "cuteness" really does not amount to much more than a bucket or two of paint and a few extra boards. And in many cases, as has already been pointed out, this was necessary to appease neighbors or HOA's.

I've spent maybe $300 on 2 coops and a large electrified yard. You won't find my coop in the coop section because I don't own a camera. My coops total about 200 sq ft and the yard is about 5600 sq ft. One of my two flocks free ranges so has no yard. Cost me about $40 to fence my garden so the free range bunch would leave it alone. I gather this is more than you could have afforded, but I could manage it, and I think you will agree it's hardly a big outlay. I really don't think I'm much different from many on here.

I'm honestly not arguing with you. I'm trying to make you feel a little better about all this.

BTW... SOOOO glad I do not live where the length of my "grass" could be an issue. Most of my so-called lawn is mowed weeds, and most of my property is unchecked weeds/trees/whatever.

 

[Becky_H]

I'm broke. My husband is laid off right now and we're living mostly on his unemployment -- and thank god for that, too.

We still need a decent looking coop. So, we're building it under our deck, with the deck providing the roof and a lot of the supporting structure. *shrugs* Everyone does what they need to do.

 

[emvickrey]

I clearly understand where you are coming from. It is nice for those that can afford to do such nice things for their birds. Those of us that have to scrape up materials for a coop look at it differently than they do. We ore down an old barn and used some of the wood to build a small coop that is big enough for the 8 adult chickens we have now.

But now that we are building our flock we need more room in the coop and we have had to build a covered run to keep them all safe. WE are up to a total of 25 chickens. We have almost finished the run, then we have to remodel the coop to accomodate for the extra hens it will house. We use scrap wood, metal and the fiberglgas panels. WE just had to do repairs to the roof as it suddenly decided to leak then water started coming in through the dirt floor becaue it has rained almost everyday for 2 weeks. The hubby put old shingles all around the floor and solved that problem. It works surprisingly well actually.

We have gone without food to buy food for our animals. But it will pay off because they will be feeding us soon. We have 4 dogs that range from St Bernard to Chihuahua in addition to the chickens.

We rent too so if we move there is alot of stuff to move along with it all. We would have to pay a months rent at both places just to be able to get it all moved.

We still have to build a coop for the AMerican Onagadori because I don't want them with the other chickens. Then the one for the Quail.

WE do things as cheaply as possible in order to do what we want.

I say congrats to those that are able to make these really cool coops and also to those that to what they can just to have a coop. WE all do our best. Nothing wrong with it. I'm a poor person too. Unemployed on top of that.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I think the majority of coops and runs I see posted are made by the owners making do with what they have while making the coop/run as safe and preditor proof as possible.

Those that spend big $ to hire someone to build the coops nicer then some homes are not the norm on this site.

 

[rainbowgardens]

I guess it's kind of like how my kids played in forts built out of refrigerator boxes and had a blast, while the neighbor down the street built a fort up on stilts with a slide on it.

By the way, they just paid someone last year to tear down and haul away the rotting wood. Ours was folded up and taken to the curb right after the kids tired of it!

I guess we all just do the best with what we have. If I had the money, I would have a gorgeous coop.

I don't think my hens care as long as they are comfortable.
Oh, and my kids don't seem to have been deprived.

 

[jophoto]

I've spent several thousand on my chickens already (and I have only had them about 5 weeks). This is our first chicken experience, and we bought a coop from the Amish. It wasn't cheap but DH and I both work and run our own businesses. Neither of us have time to build. Time = money in my world, and I would gladly pay for someone to have built it as it is worth it when I calculate the time involved building and what I can make by working that day - taking a few photo shoots in.

We are, however, building our own run. We are also remodeling our kids' bathroom ourselves, and doing our own landscaping - we just can't "do it all" by ourselves.

It's all about priorities. I know people who wouldn't dare spend on a prebuilt coop, but they sure as heck would buy an expensive car flat out... Some people have different priorities, no big deal.

 

[Big dreams]

Some people play golf, some people shop and have their nails done, some go on long vacations

wouldn't it be nice? Then you have people who have a chicken Hobby... hobbies can sometimes be expensive, however there are some of the most frugle and creative people here, it is so amazing what so many have done with little or no money... post a pic of your coop and tell us about it, money makes no difference at all. Not all of us need it, we get by on very little but watch our pennies and spend them where needed or where planed. Happy day.