Low rent, I mean, 'modest' hen house photos, please

[calgal98]

I am in the process of finishing my chicken coop/run and put the translucent roofing over the whole thing. I'm really loving it and the light is amazing! Use the lighter colors as they are more reflective of the heat for summer use (a big issue here when it can be 105* in the summer). It has worked out amazingly! LOVE IT! Vicki

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Yea, the roof has been torn off, and the whole thing is dismantled and awaiting refurbishing. I'm toying with the idea of the translucent corrugated plastic stuff for a roof. I like the idea of having more natural light.
It's a little bigger than my current henhouse (an odd, long doghouse) and will be easier to clean. I'll probably just have two. Then I can have a breeding pen

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

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I'm renovating a farm house on a 1/4 acre lot right across from the building inspector/ town hall. I've been coverting my shed to a chicken coop. I think he's thinking I'm building shelves LOL! I am putting lattice over the "front" of the chicken run and growing peas and other things up it to hide the run. This should be interesting....

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

Were getting ready to build a shed just like that for our sheep!

 

[Chicken Woman]

Not sure how cold it gets there but i live in Montana and we had several nights of -22 this winter !

My coop is not insulated but it is free of drafts and the floor remains dry. Not sure if you really need to insulate and put interior walls ?

 

[Chirpy]

That shed is going to make a great chicken coop. Do figure out ahead of time if it's cost efficient though... sometimes it is cheaper to start from scratch.

This is my coop. It's as simple as they come but looks Ok due to the OSB on the sides (cheaper than siding) and painted. I used the plastic at the top to let in more light and love it.

From the side:

The side window was from a garage sale. We have since added onto this coop and doubled it's size. I got windows for free by putting a 'want' ad on Craigslist.

The front window is totally open, no glass, it's got hardware cloth covering it and a hinged lid to close when the weather is bad. It lets a lot of air in when it's hot here.

 

[GardeNerd]

I think it will make a fine coop.

I am sure there are tons of "modest" coops out there; you just don't see people posting the pics as often. I have even seen a few made out of dog igloos. The chickens don't care. Paint hides lots of mismatched materials too. I made mine out of partially recycled stuff, and painting sure hid a lot. I had to make mine somewhat attractive because I live in an urban city and it is not hidden at all.

I like the www.thecitychicken.com's pictorial history. You can see how she started modestly like yours.

http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/pictorialhistory.html

 

[Kansaseq]

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My current henhouse is not insulated, either. It is fairly draft free and has a heat lamp for the coldest weather. So far no frostbite on my BO's comb, and the girls layed through the winter. I probably won't insulate the 'new' one, either, as long as it's draft free.

I made a lot of progress today, dragged the entire thing out to the coop and got the walls up. That thing is HEAVY! Now I need to decide on what to do for a roof and floor, and I can kick the kids outside.

Chirpy, I love your house, especially the transom window for extra light. Very nice, and thanks for the photo!

 

[Omran]

That looks good, just make sure hat the wood not rotten , that roden can chew on it. but if it in good shape it will work.

 

[briteday]

I'll post pictures in a few weeks. We just found for free some wooden crates at a local manufacturing plant. They will take some serious hard work, but the savings in plywood alone makes it worthwhile. We are in the process of pulling a zillion nails out that held the product in place inside the crate. Then we will clean them good, build roosts / nesting boxes / feeders and paint inside and out. They will each hold 6 birds and be attached to large runs. Our birds also free range when we are home to supervise for hawks.

I'll bet your coop is going to be just great. We have sub-zero nights here too and my current coop has no insulation. It made me feel better a couple of nights to heat a river rock on the hearth, wrap it in an old towel, and put it beneath the roosts for warmth. But even my RIR, with their big wattles and combs had no frostbite this year.

Rock on!

 

[Kansaseq]

Rock on to you, too, Briteday! I hear you when it comes to being willing to expend some elbow grease and nail pulling to save money. Honestly, if my neighbor hadn't donated her shed, I would just have had to make due with fewer chickens, and the old henhouse.
I looked at new sheds at Lowe's and Home Depot, but even the small ones are like $400. Who has that kind of spare income these days? Certainly not a singe vet tech like me. I totally embrace the 'use what you've got', and 'recycle, reuse, renew approach'. My neighbor was going to torch the old shed. Now it has a new use and saved me lots of money (not to mention giving me some much needed exercise).

Please do post photos of your progress.

Joebryant, I took a look at your webpage, and your home and coop are lovely. If only my chickens could be so lucky!