Just finished my 3rd and best coop ... this one is for sale!

[perrypogue]

So, about two weeks ago when I stopped at my local feed store I was invited to build a coop and the feed store manager felt certain that we could sell them. Just this morning I will be adding the finishing touches ... I believe this one is my best to date. After building two coops I've decided that an 8x8 coop is about right. The coop is 8' in the back and slopes to 7'6" in the front so plenty of height to enter. My nesting boxes and roost are inside ... the roost is 7' tall and the nesting boxes are about 4' tall making gathering eggs at a comfortable height. I put the nesting boxes in the right hand rear of the coop and have a ladder that reaches the nesting boxes then another ladder from the nesting boxes to the roost. This keeps the entire floor of the coop open giving the flock more room and making cleaning easy. In the left hand rear of the coop I've added a door to the run. The run is 4x4x16 ... this is framed out with 2x4's and braced with 2x6's .... this accommodates 4' chicken wire and allows me to run about a 1' edge of buried chicken wire for predator protection.

I've got a sign over the door 'Happy Hens' ... and I've moved 6 hens into the coop.

So, this is a full blown sample complete with chickens. Now I'll see if it will sell! I've got $350 invested in material alone ... I'm asking $600 for the whole deal and the customer can either take this coop or I'll build one on their property.

I'm doing this as I'm retired and I've learned that I really enjoy building coops. I don't intend to make much money but I'd like to cover my expenses and pay myself a small amount.

Now I'll see if the coop will sell!

I'd love to add pictures just don't have a camera ... but I have a friend who will take some photos ... I'll post them when they are available.

 

[TillyPeeps]

So, about two weeks ago when I stopped at my local feed store I was invited to build a coop and the feed store manager felt certain that we could sell them. Just this morning I will be adding the finishing touches ... I believe this one is my best to date. After building two coops I've decided that an 8x8 coop is about right. The coop is 8' in the back and slopes to 7'6" in the front so plenty of height to enter. My nesting boxes and roost are inside ... the roost is 7' tall and the nesting boxes are about 4' tall making gathering eggs at a comfortable height. I put the nesting boxes in the right hand rear of the coop and have a ladder that reaches the nesting boxes then another ladder from the nesting boxes to the roost. This keeps the entire floor of the coop open giving the flock more room and making cleaning easy. In the left hand rear of the coop I've added a door to the run. The run is 4x4x16 ... this is framed out with 2x4's and braced with 2x6's .... this accommodates 4' chicken wire and allows me to run about a 1' edge of buried chicken wire for predator protection.

I've got a sign over the door 'Happy Hens' ... and I've moved 6 hens into the coop.

So, this is a full blown sample complete with chickens. Now I'll see if it will sell! I've got $350 invested in material alone ... I'm asking $600 for the whole deal and the customer can either take this coop or I'll build one on their property.

I'm doing this as I'm retired and I've learned that I really enjoy building coops. I don't intend to make much money but I'd like to cover my expenses and pay myself a small amount.

Now I'll see if the coop will sell!

I'd love to add pictures just don't have a camera ... but I have a friend who will take some photos ... I'll post them when they are available.

That's a really good price. I'm sure that you will have no problem selling the coop. I wish I could find such a great deal at our area, although I want hardware cloth instead of chicken wire and a larger run with even a higher price. You may want to offer the customer different design/price of the run.

 

[perrypogue]

I appreciate the comment Tilly Peeps. The coop is really strong. I have 5 ea - 2x6x8's on each wall. This gave me the span of less than 6' I needed to be able to use fence pickets. Those are 1x4x6' sold at Lowe's for $1.22/ea. I've got 6 ea - 4x4 posts ... one for each corner and 2 that frame the door.

I know my material cost is $350 ... but I've put in about 3 weeks of 7 hour day labor. As I started out with just a love for building and didn't expect to make much I've given a lot of thought to what it might sell for .... and I just don't know ... I still have time to name my price and I know you can always come down but you can't go up ... so I had thought about asking $600. Your comment makes me think I might be able to add another hundred ... not trying to get greedy but I do have many hours of labor in this project. And my Lowe's is 50 miles away and I've got about three trips to get all the material.

Maybe I'll ask $699 ...

For the past 12 years since I retired I've cut firewood. I was cutting 40 cords a year and selling it for $160/cord. I could cut a cord in two days ... so I was making about $80/day less expenses ... or netting about $60/day. This coop project isn't going to pay me nearly $60/day in profit .... 21 days at even at $350 profit ... what is that ... like $15/day?

I just don't know ... I do know that I only want to build about 3-4 coops .... then it will be spring, warmer weather, time to go fishing ...lol.

But thanks again .... maybe I'll just go up a bit.

 

[lazy gardener]

I appreciate the comment Tilly Peeps. The coop is really strong. I have 5 ea - 2x6x8's on each wall. This gave me the span of less than 6' I needed to be able to use fence pickets. Those are 1x4x6' sold at Lowe's for $1.22/ea. I've got 6 ea - 4x4 posts ... one for each corner and 2 that frame the door.

I know my material cost is $350 ... but I've put in about 3 weeks of 7 hour day labor. As I started out with just a love for building and didn't expect to make much I've given a lot of thought to what it might sell for .... and I just don't know ... I still have time to name my price and I know you can always come down but you can't go up ... so I had thought about asking $600. Your comment makes me think I might be able to add another hundred ... not trying to get greedy but I do have many hours of labor in this project. And my Lowe's is 50 miles away and I've got about three trips to get all the material.

Maybe I'll ask $699 ...

For the past 12 years since I retired I've cut firewood. I was cutting 40 cords a year and selling it for $160/cord. I could cut a cord in two days ... so I was making about $80/day less expenses ... or netting about $60/day. This coop project isn't going to pay me nearly $60/day in profit .... 21 days at even at $350 profit ... what is that ... like $15/day?

I just don't know ... I do know that I only want to build about 3-4 coops .... then it will be spring, warmer weather, time to go fishing ...lol.

But thanks again .... maybe I'll just go up a bit.

I strongly suggest that you do some checking around to see what similar coops or even garden sheds of same size are selling for. IMO, you could cut back on your framing expenses, and still have a quality building. Also recommend that you use hardware cloth in your next build. I use it for my coops/tractors, and would not be comfortable selling a coop to a customer that was not equally predator proof. I'd let the customer be responsible for installing their own skirting, or you could offer to do it for them, for an added price. Don't undersell yourself, b/c if you do, the next customer will grouse that they saw the same coop a month or two for $X.00. Mark high, then you can always reduce cost. This time of year, especially, you're going to have folks who are antsy to get a coop so they can get their chicks.

 

[perrypogue]

I'm not aware of any predators that will chew through chicken wire .... I have coyotes, raccoons, fox, skunks, and dogs. I know some of these would easily break out of chicken wire if trapped in it but to break through it ... I just doubt it. I've got 40 baby chicks ... I'd be very concerned if I thought this was a threat.

And really, I appreciate the comment but I've done a lot of research and if there is a less expensive way to frame out I can't find it. It was using the fence pickets that really saved me a lot of money. They are 1x4x72 @ $1.22/ea and the 2x6x8's @ $6.37/ea give me the strength at the bottom that enables me to use the flimsy fence pickets to cover the top 6'.

Anyway, I think that $350 in materials for a building this size is good ... but I don't doubt that someone could save somewhere. I'd like to hear from them if they can. And with a frame of 4x4 posts with 5 - 2x6x8's per side I'll take the strength challenge.

Sincerely though, I don't think I'm some master carpenter and I welcome criticism .... that's how we learn.

 

[appps]

I've no experience with it but there are a zillion threads on here saying chicken wire isn't predator proof. Would be interesting to hear some first hand accounts of what chewed through it. Often things are repeated as fact but not experienced first hand Until it becomes a sort of proof less fact if you know what I mean. so it would be interesting to get it first hand to see how common that really is. I'm quite curious.

Looking forward to seeing some photos. Good luck! Hope it sells for you!

 

[Primo]

350 is pretty darn good in material costs for a coop and run that size. Its the time that's the killer. I understand your retired and doing this for the enjoyment of building and being productive. I bet using all those pickets are the main bottle neck. 4 x 8 sheets of l.p. smartside at Lowe's are around $23 bucks here. Might save you some time (but cost a little more).
I would definetly ask 699. A customer willing to spend $$$ on a turn key ready to go coop would have no problem spending that on a coop and run that size. The problem is finding those kind of customers. Especially if your out in the country. I say go for it.

 

[aart]

Sounds great.....would love to see pics.

 

[TillyPeeps]

I appreciate the comment Tilly Peeps. The coop is really strong. I have 5 ea - 2x6x8's on each wall. This gave me the span of less than 6' I needed to be able to use fence pickets. Those are 1x4x6' sold at Lowe's for $1.22/ea. I've got 6 ea - 4x4 posts ... one for each corner and 2 that frame the door.

I know my material cost is $350 ... but I've put in about 3 weeks of 7 hour day labor. As I started out with just a love for building and didn't expect to make much I've given a lot of thought to what it might sell for .... and I just don't know ... I still have time to name my price and I know you can always come down but you can't go up ... so I had thought about asking $600. Your comment makes me think I might be able to add another hundred ... not trying to get greedy but I do have many hours of labor in this project. And my Lowe's is 50 miles away and I've got about three trips to get all the material.

Maybe I'll ask $699 ...

For the past 12 years since I retired I've cut firewood. I was cutting 40 cords a year and selling it for $160/cord. I could cut a cord in two days ... so I was making about $80/day less expenses ... or netting about $60/day. This coop project isn't going to pay me nearly $60/day in profit .... 21 days at even at $350 profit ... what is that ... like $15/day?

I just don't know ... I do know that I only want to build about 3-4 coops .... then it will be spring, warmer weather, time to go fishing ...lol.

But thanks again .... maybe I'll just go up a bit.

You are welcome. I would say that $699 is till a good price, especially when you offer to build it in the customer's yard. 3-4 coops should be sold in a couple months. You can try to sell it on craigslist. In my area, a similar used coop on craigslist is still asking for $600. We just built our own coop recently, it costs more than $500 on materials only and took us months to build it. A 4x6 Amish coop (without run) is selling for $750 here for pick up only.

 

[perrypogue]

I appreciate the interest and I'll get pics posted in the next two days. I suppose we're all this way but I know that I certainly get better at building through repetition. I haven't done a lot of carpentry work in my life so there has been quite a learning curve. I've put a lot of effort in keeping my building square and level. I've learned to give a lot of thought to making the building exactly the right length and width so that when the tin roof goes on there is the right amount of over hang. I've made one stupid mistake again ... my home is pretty dry country yet the roof still should slope from front to rear ... mine slope from rear to front ... lol. But I like my interior design. I have only one ladder that reaches the ground. It goes to the nesting boxes and from them to the roost, This keeps the entire floor open for only feed and water.

The new 8x8 coop is finished and will remain at the feed store as a sample. I've considered moving my six hens and my roo into that coop ... but that would require full predator proofing and that would make it more difficult to move should the customer want it immediately. My intention is to offer it for sale or to build another one on the customers property.

My home coops now consist of two 12x12 coops with a 12x24 run between the coops. I've got 40 RIR chicks now and they are in one coop with my remaining six 10 month old pullets and my roo in the other coop. I'd like to allow the chicks to use both coops allowing them more room. But to do that I'd need to rehouse the older birds or wait until the chicks are older.

I had been allowing my flock to free range on my acre. They had remained on my place for a long time but they were beginning venture out traveling onto my neighbor's land. So I've had to keep them in their pen. I regret that.

I really enjoy this website and all the friendly support, communication and advice. I've learned a lot.