My cost efficient chicken house... Feedback is def appreciated. *PICS*

[NTRD]

Hey folks,

After spending less than one week acquiring material to build the most cost effective chicken house in California, today I finally completed construction. Unfortunately, it began to rain before I could paint it. Here are some photos for your those interested in raising chickens on a budget...Yes, It can be done. If you are curious to know what this coop cost to build, I only spent $43.60. Thats right!... UNDER FIFTY DOLLARS! Having the necessary tools on hand including a box of dry wall strews, the only material purchased were hinges, latches, paint, staples, and chicken wire.

Hinges, $1.50 x4 = $6
Latches, 2.30 x2 = 4.60
Paint, $16/gal = $16
Staples, $3 = $3
Chicken wire = $14
Total = $43.60

As far as the wood is concerned, I was fortunate enough to get free pallets and scrap pilings from LOWES and Home Depot. The run portion of the coop is a palletized- tile crate that is flipped upside down on which I built the chicken house portion of the coop on. I acquired this tile crate from a friend who is remodeling his home. Knocking out the three middle boards on the base of the crate, I used one to make a ramp. The framing/studs of the house was constructed using strapper wood which has a quarter inch gouge running down the middle of it to hold the entire load of lumber during transportation. This also was given to me by the hardware strores... I even used one strapper on the top roof of the coop.

Can't wait for it to stop rainin so I can staple the chicken wire, add the last hinges and latch, and get it painted... Just goes to show ya that a little imagination goes a long way. Enjoy!

 

[azpenguin]

That's gonna look really cute when it's painted. Even if you gotta buy the wood, the design still isn't all that expensive, which makes it handy (a lot of that can be built with cull lumber.) How many chickens are you planning in there?

 

[NTRD]

Well, I'm a single bachelor so I can't imagine being able to eat more than four egg laying chickens can provide. I'm curious to know if Quail would be able to live harmoniously with chicken. Do you or anyone on here know? Id be up for having a quail too in the mix if thats possible.

 

[dcouette]

Awesome Coop! I am sure your chickens will be very happy!

 

[speckledhen]

I'd skip the chicken wire and go with hardware cloth, which is much more predator resistant. Chicken wire won't keep out anything. The only other suggestion is, if you put up to 4 full size birds in that small coop, I'd add some ventilation in there. Cute coop, very cost effective!

 

[latebloomer]

how many square feet inside the coop do you have?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

You cant keep quail and chickens together. The chickens can pass a disease to the quail that will kill them.

 

[CindyG]

I have chickens and quail in my coop, in fact I broodered a lone silkie chick with my button quail and now she won't leave them. Better use hardware cloth as quail will slip through chicken wire no problem and they don't have the same instinct for returning to the coop. I have one coturnix and she is an egg laying machine sometimes two a day! Button quail also lay very well, but it takes a lot of their eggs to make an omelet,

 

[Bengalcats1]

Very cute but I think to small inside for 4 hens, maybe the pic makes it appear smaller than it is

 

[bryan99705]

Very nice. You guys are making me jealous with all these neat ideas on how to build coops so cheap. I may try a hand at it and see if a few friends would like to start raising chicks. I don't need any more since I have a big double coop plus a mobile tween coop, but someone might.

Don't overload the coop with birds, just a couple will fit. (we all know chicken math leads to overloading coops and having to expand)

Get some more ventilation designed in, ammonia fumes can build up quickly in a small area also consider painting white or a light color to keep it cooler inside.


With as well built as this looks, please don't compromise the security with chicken wire. It holds ckickens well but turns you coop into a lunch box for a critter that tears thru it. Critters can get in but birds can't get out!