Lumber prices are CRAY -Need Coop Advice

[Alagirl]

Wow, Thanks so much for all the replies!

I did look last night and found a pretty reasonable coop on marketplace, hopefully they respond!
I also found some sheds on amazon that I think I could make into a coop easy!! Thank you so much, I don't know why I never thought of that!
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Storage-Galvanized-Lockable-Backyard/dp/B09S3BXRJW/ref=sr_1_8?crid=22W8GN6F1KIQ&keywords=willayok+outdoor+storage+shed+8x6&qid=1656530784&sprefix=willayok+outdoor+storage+shed+8+x+6,aps,43&sr=8-8&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Storage-Lockable-Outside-Backyard/dp/B0B2JYKJY2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=GAF6Q28H6F1C&keywords=willayok+shed+8x6&qid=1656530755&sprefix=willayok+shed+8+x+6,aps,44&sr=8-5&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Keter-Outdoor-Backyard-Garden-Storage/dp/B009T7HHGA/ref=sr_1_4?crid=H5T0Z27DRC8N&keywords=shed&qid=1656530660&sprefix=she,aps,92&sr=8-4

I wasn't sure I could do a hoop coop because it looks so open. I'm in PA (by philly). We get hot summers, and cold winters. Would they be okay in that? Chicken wire is much cheaper than plywood!

I have been eyeing up my neighbor's pallets... I don't really know anyone with a labor profession. Everyone I know is in IT or sales and has never touched a tool X_X Maybe I can take a look on marketplace for playhouses though, thank you! I'm also not super tool-ey. I could cut and follow a plan but using reclaimed wood.... maybe i'm not giving myself enough credit lol


This is why I wasn't sure we could have a hoop coop... What do you think? I'm worried they would be too cold. I'm in PA. We experience quite the range. It rarely goes negative but it can get down to single digits.

Honestly the 2x4's are not bad but the plywood is outrageous. Here's what I was looking at: https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-...act-Pressure-Treated-Plywood-131876/206970940
I needed 10 for $53.48 each so like over $500. X.X

Thanks again everyone!

Youtube is your friend! There are many channels that do all but send the finished item to you! Much can be done with a cheap saw and a cordless drill (stuff one should have around the house anyhow)
Also, the consensus is hardware cloth is much safer than chickenwire. You would want to invest into some large tin snips of an electric cutter. It makes short order of cuts that way.

I guess in PA you need a little more protection than just a wire enclosure. but from what I gather, chickens need surprisingly little - what are the low temps/snowfall numbers?
I am only at the beginning of my chicken journey myself, but prefab is really a waste of money, to be honest. I have one my husband bought, the thing isn't even 2 feet wide! I think I put a guinea pig in, or one rabbit. it would hold 2 tiny bantams, perhaps, but it has no roost, and really no way to put on up
Also look into non-lumber alternatives. Like metal studs, and concrete siding.
There are a lot of plans out, here and on the net, plus of curse the virtual how-tos. If you can manage everyday life, you should be able to construct a simple structure!

Of course, once that is accomplished, the nerd side can take over, add solar pannels and stuff to the coop. Cameras, lights, automatic doors, music....

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I didn't want to put on the ground because animals could tunnel inside

Hardware cloth skirting around the coop/run will solve that! I am finishing up the last side on my run at the moment. And they love to dig into the soil when its hot out.

 

[3KillerBs]

This is why I wasn't sure we could have a hoop coop... What do you think? I'm worried they would be too cold. I'm in PA. We experience quite the range. It rarely goes negative but it can get down to single digits.

Some people have hoop coops in cold climate areas with significant snowfall.

Did I give you my list of hoop coop links already?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-tractor.69336/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-coop-brooder-with-roll-up-sides.75720/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-biddie-bordello-a-hoop-coop-run-combo.72189/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/permanent-hoop-coop-guide.47818/

Honestly the 2x4's are not bad but the plywood is outrageous.

With plywood prices high consider the merits of Hardieboard. If you're going to pay the same price might as well get the tough stuff.

I didn't want to put on the ground because animals could tunnel inside

A wire anti-dig apron is the solution here. You'll want one around your run anyway.

 

[aart]

I also found some sheds on amazon that I think I could make into a coop easy!! Thank you so much, I don't know why I never thought of that!

Keep in mind that sheds rarely have good roof overhangs, and the metal ones are hard to modify with windows and vents.

 

[Zenzilicious]

Some people have hoop coops in cold climate areas with significant snowfall.

Did I give you my list of hoop coop links already?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-tractor.69336/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-coop-brooder-with-roll-up-sides.75720/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-biddie-bordello-a-hoop-coop-run-combo.72189/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/permanent-hoop-coop-guide.47818/



With plywood prices high consider the merits of Hardieboard. If you're going to pay the same price might as well get the tough stuff.



A wire anti-dig apron is the solution here. You'll want one around your run anyway.

Oh I had no idea about that wire apron! Someone had told us about this: https://www.amazon.com/24x15-inch-B...pY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

Is that the same thing? The apron seems cheaper, but I'm wondering how does that work with mowing the lawn then?

 

[3KillerBs]

Oh I had no idea about that wire apron! Someone had told us about this: https://www.amazon.com/24x15-inch-Barrier-Underground-Decorative-Fencing/dp/B09LQJZSRD/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=3JPVTI5D75B9Y&keywords=fence+stakes&qid=1656543484&sprefix=fence+stakes,aps,72&sr=8-3-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExQVM4UTEzSExSMEVSJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjc1NTcxMjVWNldFNldFMFpBSSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjA0NTgwM0NWOE5aWVRMNjczWSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

Is that the same thing? The apron seems cheaper, but I'm wondering how does that work with mowing the lawn then?

I used 1/2" hardware cloth for my apron. Some people use 2x4 wire, but I have weasels in my area so I went with the tighter spacing.

You install it by laying fastening it to the bottom of your coop/run then bending out 18-24" flat on the ground and pinning it down with landscape staples. Then you either cover it with mulch or let the grass grow up through it.

You can mow right over it once the grass is firmly established.

My internet is glitching right now so I can't upload a photo, but hopefully someone else can provide one.

 

[aart]

Oh I had no idea about that wire apron! Someone had told us about this: https://www.amazon.com/24x15-inch-Barrier-Underground-Decorative-Fencing/dp/B09LQJZSRD/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=3JPVTI5D75B9Y&keywords=fence+stakes&qid=1656543484&sprefix=fence+stakes,aps,72&sr=8-3-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExQVM4UTEzSExSMEVSJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjc1NTcxMjVWNldFNldFMFpBSSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjA0NTgwM0NWOE5aWVRMNjczWSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

Is that the same thing? The apron seems cheaper, but I'm wondering how does that work with mowing the lawn then?

Good examples of anti-dig apron installation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

 

[Blooie]

It’s like 1:30 am here and I’ve had a doozy of a day, which is going to followed by a doozier tomorrow. But I did want to at least give a partial response to the hoop stuff. (Thanks for the tag, @TheDawg )

I live in northwestern Wyoming, where we know hot summers and frigid winters. I’m not too far from Yellowstone Park, which should tell you something about our climate. My hoop run has been going strong for 8 years now, without a single repair - ever! We made one modification, and that was to add another panel to make it longer. We can get winds of 60 mph here…..one January the National Weather Service recorded a 90 mph gust. Snow well into June isn’t unusual, and snow beginning again in September isn’t unusual either. It handles heavy snow loads like a dream. Because there’s no stiff framing, it doesn’t fight the weather - instead it flexes with the weather. It was so easy to build that hubby and I - both in our late 60s and both with some disabilities - built it by ourselves in a weekend.

We used no lumber in our construction. Yep, you read that right. The only wood is the people door into the run. We used a hardware cloth skirt going up about 2 feet, which we folded out at the bottom another 2 feet and staked to the ground with landscape fabric staples. We mow right over it. Our English Setter tried to dig under it…she broke and bloodied a toenail and was convinced that those chickens hurt her. She never bothered them again. We now have an Irish Wolfhound and a Golden Retriever. They have also been unsuccessful. Raccoons have even been thwarted by the cattle panels covered with chicken wire at the top (that is more to keep out wild birds and squirrels than serious predators), the hardware cloth skirt and apron, and the vinyl lattice. That vinyl lattice is like the deadbolt added to a door that already had two locks!! Nothing is getting through that! Originally the lattice was just added to make it look pretty and to keep the wires from poking through and ripping our winter covering. But it’s turned out to be the best feature of our run for so many reasons.

We drape mesh reinforced clear plastic over the run in winter, leaving plenty of ventilation. The south end is a separate piece that can be rolled up or down like a window shade, and it’s usually opened all the way unless the weather is coming in from that side or if the winds are particularly vicious. The chickens love to bask in that southerly sunshine.

Okay, I promised myself Id stop at 2 am,band I’m almost there. Just have time to post a couple of photos, and to suggest you click on “My Coop” under my breathtakingly gorgeous avatar. That takes you to our build from start to finish….or mostly finished. (Are they ever really finished?) The hoop build starts about 1/4 of the way down.

Our original run the first summer, before we added the other cattle panel and lattice over the top. We still use landscape fabric as a shade…..tried tarps, hated them because they hold in heat, while landscape fabric is air permeable. The shape of the run and the type of fabric we use means water drains off down the sides when it rains. Run stays dry.

Our run in winter.

The inside - light, airy,dry, and roomy.

 

[Dakar2009]

I'd say $1150 in lumber for a GOOD DIY coop you can customize isn't bad at all based on the prices I've seen for the pre-fabbed coops out there. And I do not think lumber prices will be coming down any time soon.

I am about to bite this bullet and do it for my girls. You can't put a price on happiness

 

[desertchick3]

My run is built out of old pallet wood, hog wire, and metal stakes in the ground. We got the pallets for free, so it was much cheaper!