this is just a thought cause I'm "cheap" to begin with. If you have the time and want to make the extra effort. Scrap lumber is fine. it's a chicken coop for cripes sake. I used old pallet wood for most of the insides. Takes time to break them down. but you'll have the uprights. 4 sheets for 1/2" X 4 X 8' plywood for some sides and cubby's. Then add in 4 ea 4X4X10's for the corners. To save money and budget start out small and add to it over time, make your design such that you won't have a problem adding on later . Get em in a place where they'll lay. I have two sides of the coop with wire mesh starting half way up. That way it vents' in the summer and then I drop the inside "ceiling and add -plastic sheeting in winter so it's easier to keep warm. Well 20 + is warm in Montana in the winter. I'm thinking $500 is about right. I also placed a rubber mat, the kind you find at a Murdocks type store for horse trailers, on the floor. It makes it easier to clean. Oh, I also found old carpet to line the lower walls with so in winter it helps to keep the heat in. I asked and not a one of them has complained. Although when the chicks hatched and saw what they had to call home, they did call me "cheep".
My "Free" Eggs are costing me a FORTUNE! - ITS DONE!! pg 15 pics
- Thread starter dbounds10
- Start date
Well since you are venting ( I completely understand !) My husband said no to chickens and a coop , for 3 weeks straight, I mean we got into several arguements about it.
Finally he said ok. I told him I could do it cheap. I stopped by several famrs, asking about scrap lumber, found an old falling down barn, I could have all I wanted for free.
My son and I went out , worked our butts off, got a lot of barnsiding. Husband laid at home on the couch with a " man cold"
Three days later I break out in poison ivy. Two days later, I finally tell him, I don't know where to begin or what to do without him. I told him I have $400.00 of my own money saved up, that I can pay for what he needs. He says fine. So he starts on the coop. Now it has to be done "right" and " well built" and they need this and they need that .
And the barnsiding ? Not good enough, DH wants to buy all new materials. $ 100.00 in Dr. appts, medicines and bandaging ( I have a really bad reaction with the poison ivy this time) it is all for nothing.
Well now I am up to $350.00 and still have no paint, no walls, no run, no fencing, nothing . I told him this is turning out to be more expensive than I thought. So I am stuck ! Keep my mouth shut and shift money around in the checking accounts ! LOL
I love him, and I love him for building it for me, but seriously ???
Can you scrub wood with hot soapy water and get poison ivy oils off of it ?? Anyone know ? I can still build some flower boxes or something out of them , I suppose.
Finally he said ok. I told him I could do it cheap. I stopped by several famrs, asking about scrap lumber, found an old falling down barn, I could have all I wanted for free.
My son and I went out , worked our butts off, got a lot of barnsiding. Husband laid at home on the couch with a " man cold"
Three days later I break out in poison ivy. Two days later, I finally tell him, I don't know where to begin or what to do without him. I told him I have $400.00 of my own money saved up, that I can pay for what he needs. He says fine. So he starts on the coop. Now it has to be done "right" and " well built" and they need this and they need that .
And the barnsiding ? Not good enough, DH wants to buy all new materials. $ 100.00 in Dr. appts, medicines and bandaging ( I have a really bad reaction with the poison ivy this time) it is all for nothing.
Well now I am up to $350.00 and still have no paint, no walls, no run, no fencing, nothing . I told him this is turning out to be more expensive than I thought. So I am stuck ! Keep my mouth shut and shift money around in the checking accounts ! LOL
I love him, and I love him for building it for me, but seriously ???
Can you scrub wood with hot soapy water and get poison ivy oils off of it ?? Anyone know ? I can still build some flower boxes or something out of them , I suppose.
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I have absolutely nothing in my chicken coop and run, it's no mansion but my babies like it. now on the other hand I have around $200 in the first chick we hatched in the incubator this year
Ouch! What are you building? I just finished building my coop which is 4' x 6' x 4' with an external nesting box (accessible from inside for hens). I am currently building a 6' x 14' x 5.5' run that will be completely enclosed. That, plus the cost of my six chicks, feed, feeder and waterer and I am into it for right around $300. I asked around for extra lumber people had and repurposed some lumber and corrugated roofing panels we had. I even asked around and found the 2 1/2" galvanized screws I've been using. There's a lot of stuff out there for the asking!
Beside all that, it is not really for the 'free eggs' that we've done it. Although that is definitely a motivating factor. It is as much for the whole experience. My sons and I have been building the coop/run together and we just can't wait for the girls to arrive.
Beside all that, it is not really for the 'free eggs' that we've done it. Although that is definitely a motivating factor. It is as much for the whole experience. My sons and I have been building the coop/run together and we just can't wait for the girls to arrive.
On the bright side, it is for the most part, a one time expense....once you have a coop, you have a coop!
I am new here, however I have had chickens before and miss them...so here we go again. Recycled and barter is the way to go and it will still cost you. Good luck. Don't forget to pet and play with your chickens
- Sep 28, 2010
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its not the cost its the thought once you have the FEVER you just keep adding and adding you find out you cant have too much for your PETS after you see how much they love it you will love it too
I am fortunate enough that we had a VERY nice 10x20 cement floor building on my property that I was doing nothing with. Its probably a $3k-$4k insulated building. Well it is now my chicken coop and I love it but do feel guilty for using it as a coop LOL but its not changing and I have 40 chickens so.........Its part of my chicken math, I dont like to add the price of the coop as it was on the prop already but duh, we did pay for it in the price of the property.
- Dec 21, 2010
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WOW! I got lucky in my chicken beginning!
One of my daycare parents was moving and couldn't take the chickens with them to the new place, so I adopted them. She said that it cost them about $300 in materials to build the coop which was the only thing she asked for compensation for. We bartered... cost me 30 hours of babysitting their twins.
ETA: I already had a section of my yard fences off because I didn't want the kiddos in there, that is now my chicken run.
One of my daycare parents was moving and couldn't take the chickens with them to the new place, so I adopted them. She said that it cost them about $300 in materials to build the coop which was the only thing she asked for compensation for. We bartered... cost me 30 hours of babysitting their twins.
ETA: I already had a section of my yard fences off because I didn't want the kiddos in there, that is now my chicken run.
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My hubby says to look up the federal hobby deduction! He is the guy to ask about tax write-offs. Not a cpa, just really good at finding extra money
My hubby says to look up the federal hobby deduction! He is the guy to ask about tax write-offs. Not a cpa, just really good at finding extra money
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