I had just moved onto the property. The house was not fit to live in, so I was living in camper while I ripped out floors and walls. It was about the worst time you could think of to buy chicks.... so, of course, that's what I did on the spur of the moment. Two RIR and two Rocks. They stayed in the house in a box for a few weeks, but they started getting big and I knew they needed more room. First I built a tractor from scrape I was ripping out of the house. 
It was obvious that it would not hold up to predators, so I hung it in the car port at night. That got old very quick and the birds were getting bigger by the day. I decided to build a small roost and let them free range during the day.
It is little more than four 2x4s and a frame with a little plywood and chicken wire. I placed it in the open so predators would be less likely to try anything. Two weeks later I caught a possum about 5 feet from base of the roost. That's when I knew I had to build something bigger, badder, and better. The "girls" were almost full grown by that time.
I decided that I would use chain link fence because it was not that much more expensive and a lot tougher and easier to use than chicken wire or hardware cloth. Then I found a guy that sells old rail road ties and I got a load of them for $6.00 each!!!! It was as simple as marking a rectangle on the ground and starting to dig.
I made it 10 Ft x 20 Ft and I built it right on top of the original roost. The holes are all about 24 inches but the ties were from 8 to 9.5 ft long so, I used a chainsaw to adjust them. I put 2x6 trusses on top and built a frame for the roof from scrap metal I got at a farm auction. I used chicken wire to secure the top to the chain link fence stapled it to more ties at the base to keep diggers (fox, coyote, and dogs)
from getting in. A neighbor said she had an old gate that would fit... and shazam! Chicken coop!!
I added some new laying boxes on the back wall last week... oh, did I forget to mention the Roo we got last fall.
All total that coop cost less than $400.00 and some sweat.
It was obvious that it would not hold up to predators, so I hung it in the car port at night. That got old very quick and the birds were getting bigger by the day. I decided to build a small roost and let them free range during the day.
It is little more than four 2x4s and a frame with a little plywood and chicken wire. I placed it in the open so predators would be less likely to try anything. Two weeks later I caught a possum about 5 feet from base of the roost. That's when I knew I had to build something bigger, badder, and better. The "girls" were almost full grown by that time.
I decided that I would use chain link fence because it was not that much more expensive and a lot tougher and easier to use than chicken wire or hardware cloth. Then I found a guy that sells old rail road ties and I got a load of them for $6.00 each!!!! It was as simple as marking a rectangle on the ground and starting to dig.
I made it 10 Ft x 20 Ft and I built it right on top of the original roost. The holes are all about 24 inches but the ties were from 8 to 9.5 ft long so, I used a chainsaw to adjust them. I put 2x6 trusses on top and built a frame for the roof from scrap metal I got at a farm auction. I used chicken wire to secure the top to the chain link fence stapled it to more ties at the base to keep diggers (fox, coyote, and dogs)
from getting in. A neighbor said she had an old gate that would fit... and shazam! Chicken coop!!
I added some new laying boxes on the back wall last week... oh, did I forget to mention the Roo we got last fall.
All total that coop cost less than $400.00 and some sweat.
