Materials

[theghostandmrchicken]

Right now I am searching for either raw, used, or scrapped materials(lumber, pallets, skids, plastic milk cartons for nesting boxes) to build my coop with.


So, I am wondering if anybody have any ideas (whether good or bad) where I might find such materials for free or at cost/reduced price?


P.S. I am getting them, but at a much slower of a pace than I like.

 

[paddock36]

Check on craigslist.com for your area in the free section or in your local newspaper free adds for supplies. Also, if there are any companies that recieve supplies on pattles (like air conditioning companies) you could check with them. My DH gets pallets and pieces of plywood all the time from his work.

 

[dsqard]

You can check to see if there is a Restore near you. If you google Restore with your city name it should come up.

 

[1K18]

Yes to stores that get stuff on pallets. My friend runs a small business that sells snow plows, etc. He was so happy to get rid of pallets that he delivered them to my house.

Maybe try your feed store? I believe that larger stores like Lowes reuse the pallets, but i would try smaller operations.

 

[theghostandmrchicken]

Thanks all for your recommandations.
But please continue posting ideas if you have any more.
Not only to help me, but others who may look at this post.

 

[dnowa1975]

there is a car window installation company locally (Grand Rapids, MI) I know of that gets all their glass shipped on large pallets and gives them all away. I have gotten a ton to use for different things......if you have any industrial type strips in your area just drive through and where you see a large stack of pallets stop in and ask...worse they can do is say no..... put adds in the "wanted" section of craigslist....I have one up right now and have also in the past.......just be creative......people always have wood and stuff in their garages or basement they aren't using

Good Luck

 

[smattmc]

Not free, but can be cheap - Home Depot has a culled bin where they sell off damaged lumber & the remains from what was cut for customers. Keep in mind a lot of the unsold pieces are warped in some way...so buyer beware. Also check for their "Oops" paint. I've managed to get my paint for $5/gal.

I've found some items at our local ReStore (Habitat for Humanity), but their prices may not always be much, if any cheaper, that retail. However, I did score some cheap hinges and paint supplies.

Also check Freecycle.org. That can vary from city to city, but you may find some useful materials there.

I've had the same challenge...went slower than I anticipated. And I've had to take time to remove nails & screws from used lumber....but worth it to get cheap AND be able to recycle!

Happy building!!

 

[suburbanchickymama]

Check out freecycle.org and see if there is a group near you! I've lucked out w/ craigslist w/ treated lumber from a deck that was torn down and a free coop that I'm fixing up! Just keep looking and get the word out of what you're searching for to folks near you! Good luck!!!

 

[THINGUM]

My buddy had some used metal roofing, he knows a guy who has a free metal door, and the guy across the alley poured some concrete walls and then gave me the OSB. Just talk it around a little and stop and talk to people w/chickens, wander up and down alleys, talk to family, friends and neighbors. (Remember them when you get eggs) Habitat for Humanity and last but not least "the dump"

 

[TreeHugger]

If you have a construction company close to you ask them if they have "scraps" you can take. The construction company close to me will pitch odds and ends they can't use. Over the winter I went to Lowes on a regular basis looking for marked down windows for the coop I'm working on right now. I managed to find two really nice windows marked down to $40 (they were normally $150). The guy at Lowes asked me what I was doing with them and laughed with I said they were going into a chicken coop.