My "Free" Eggs are costing me a FORTUNE! - ITS DONE!! pg 15 pics

[gertiie]

I came home from work today and the DH had my outside walls up, window holes cut out, etc.
He went shopping today . He added another $250 to my bill.

BUT he did admit later
that he went totally overkill on this project.
I told him , its ok , it is our first coop . We will do better on the next one. I got my first Stink Eye look at that very moment.
We are up to $600.00 now

 

[GiddyMoon]

I went garage saling today and found a 3 hole cabinet that comes apart to make 3 hen boxes = $3, a $200 wheeled pet cage to use as an emergency brooder, etc $10, 2 - 8' long by 15" wide planks of wood from a bed to use against the back of the coop = $5 and a really neat 4 part room divider that looks like wood shutters I can use on the coop too= $5...slowly but surely...

 

[whitehousechix]

Well I don't even have an egg yet, but when I do, it will be about 1K I think that qualifies for a golden egg.. but after 2 the price drops to 500, so I think it will have paid for itself after 11 eggs. thats chicken math??.. right????

 

[miraclz5]

Quote:
I love it! Too funny, but so true! Expensive eggs....expensive hobby....LOL and all or the love of chickens!

 

[miraclz5]

Quote:
I love it! Too funny, but so true! Expensive eggs....expensive hobby....LOL and all or the love of chickens!

 

[GardenerGal]

I was lucky that my house came with a 12'X20' barn. Inexpensive lumber and some nails and hardware cloth/wire was all I needed for a run that goes the length of the barn on the side, and knocking out a boarded-up side window became the side door for the flock to go out into the run and back into the barn -- we built a ramp out of plywood and 2x4s. In all it probably cost about $200 in lumber, etc. (it was back in the 90s and I've forgotten). The only major expense since doing that stuff, was rebuilding the waterfowl pen using pressure-treated posts and lumber, plus strong fence wire to surround and cover the pen to predator proof it. That cost a bit more -- around $1000.

Can't complain. It wasn't too bad a startup investment. If you don't look at what we pay for feed, grit, meds, vitamins, "accessories" and all that, it's not such an expensive thing really, is it?

 

[chickyeyes]

We have built a small 'town' for our chickens, ducks and turkey (and pheasants). It cost basically nothing because we collected scrap wood from construction sites my husband worked on. Also scrap metal for the roofs. We have Clucky's Saloon, Dr. Quack's Med Center and the Ornamental Inn. And the small coop is called Bawk's Cafe. I think we bought the light switches and the poultry wire. If you ask and say what you are doing with it...some contractors will give you stuff for free.

 

[macadam8157]

Oh but the eggs are free... just not the upkeep of the producers!!!

 

[discoveregg]

Thanks so much for posting on this thread. My DH is also in progress of making the most elaborate chicken coop ever concieved. Will post when complete. Meanwhile my 10 chicks, who are now 6 weeks and in my living room are driving me crazy! I have a curious daschund puppy and a 13 year old cocker spaniel who are quite entertained by the chicks, and a cat against whom they guard the chicks by barking at her 24/7.
I could have bought a year's worth of chicken eggs for the price of the coop!
Oh well, I am certain that this will all turn out well in the end. So glad I am not alone....and all the laughs I had from this thread were great at reducing my stress!

 

[latebloomer]

Quote:
please be careful with this, and whatever you do, don't burn it. i've heard some horror stories about that.