need help gotta build a coop FAST

[mistyfeather]

if you have some 5 gal. bucket around lay them on their side cut part of one side off and they make realy nice nest boxes. i saw a vidio on utube of a guy who did that. also small wooden crates or baskets work realy well too. you can pick up some VERRY cheap at fleamarkets or thrift stores! you could even ask friends or family if thay have any laying around that they would like to get rid of.

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

How 'bout dishpans, or the dishpan type thingys they give at hospitals, or even the small, cheap litter boxes for nest boxes?

Im nearly in the same boat as you. Need to build one relatively cheap (recycled) and fast. In about 1.5 wks, mine can go out and they are running out of room now.

I have collected pallets and plan on using those to do the majority of the building. My oldest duaghter and I just tore down the old metal shed today (It leaked and couldnt be fixed). That leaves the concrete pad it was on to build on
My only concern is the fencing. YIKES, its expensive!

Good luck

 

[CountryPantry]

Here are some pics of mine that are made out of totally recycled pallets and wood. There are more pics of a smaller one on my BYC Pages.

 

[Intheswamp]

You're probably not going to like what I have to say...but I'll say it anyhow.

You have, let's say, 66 chickens. If you opted for 3 sq ft of coop space (Idaho...don't ya'll have snow, etc.,? where the chickens would need to be inside maybe for a few days?) that would be roughly a 200 square foot coop....10'x20'. That's a sizeable coop with less than optimal square footage. I'm curious...where have the chickens been staying?(other than the two roosters)

Driving some fenceposts into the ground to support the upright pallets and then placing the cattle panels over the top with a tarp on it is an option. I would say a "fast", temporary one for the moment. It can be done.

66 chickens... Who's paying for the chicken feed? If they're being fed ~1/4 pound of feed a day that would be around 115 pounds of feed per week (minimum $80 per month?)...a pretty high expense for having an almost non-existent income coming in. I understand that the chickens are apparently free ranging, but still there should be some balanced feed being fed. Who is footing the bill or do they just scratch up their subsistence??

i think the couple of roos roosting in his man cave was the last straw, he didnt like poopies on his tools.

I hope that wasn't meant as sarcasm? I wouldn't like "poopies" on my tools, either. Since your father is already letting the chickens run all over his property...doesn't he deserve his own "man cave" (if that is what you want to call it?), especially since he owns it? And you know something, I bet that if you need tools to build your coop that you'll be using *his* tools.

The following will answer several of the problems that you are facing...

Build an 8'x8' hoop house out of the two cattle panels, pallets, chicken wire, and tarps. An 8'x8' house is 64 square feet...which should house 12-16 chickens easily, though in bad weather conditions would still be on the smallish size. Next, sell, process, or give away 75% of your flock. This will lighten the chicken load on the property, will cut down on the feed bill, the coop will be able to house the remainder of the flock, there should still be plenty of eggs to eat, and it will take some stress off of several people.

Once your husband finds steady employment (and possibly you, too) then you can re-assess your situation. Maybe down the road ya'll can purchase your own place and build your flock up to what you want it. For now, though, downsizing would be very prudent.

Best wishes,
Ed​

 

[write2caroline]

Can you take the pallets apart yourself. There are so many ways to go with the pallets but first you need to take them apart and see what you have to work with.

Also Grocery stores with bakeries will give you their frosting buckets if you ask for them - good for feeders and waterers


Free is good - my family made a chicken run with pallets and found fencing a neighbor planned to toss.. I think the main thing to think about is the nest box and the rest is just whatever you want for a box around it and simple roosts. Do you want to be able to go inside? the nest box should have an access outside so you can collect eggs with out being pecked if needed. My sister in law didn't think about that and her chickens attacked her everytime she went in the coop.

There are so many ways to go with design someone posted a link on a few pallet requests.

I built my coops without any help from my hubby and they turned out really well. just take your time - measure twice before cutting!

Caroline

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Quote:
I hope that wasn't meant as sarcasm? I wouldn't like "poopies" on my tools, either. Since your father is already letting the chickens run all over his property...doesn't he deserve his own "man cave" (if that is what you want to call it?), especially since he owns it? And you know something, I bet that if you need tools to build your coop that you'll be using *his* tools.

The following will answer several of the problems that you are facing...

Build an 8'x8' hoop house out of the two cattle panels, pallets, chicken wire, and tarps. An 8'x8' house is 64 square feet...which should house 12-16 chickens easily, though in bad weather conditions would still be on the smallish size. Next, sell, process, or give away 75% of your flock. This will lighten the chicken load on the property, will cut down on the feed bill, the coop will be able to house the remainder of the flock, there should still be plenty of eggs to eat, and it will take some stress off of several people.

Once your husband finds steady employment (and possibly you, too) then you can re-assess your situation. Maybe down the road ya'll can purchase your own place and build your flock up to what you want it. For now, though, downsizing would be very prudent.

Best wishes,
Ed

Ed, Are you using common sense?

 

[Katy]

I was curious too about what they have been using for shelter all winter, other than your dad's shop. Keep in mind if you can get together some sort of coop and run for them you'll have to keep them penned for some time till they are used to roosting there...otherwise they'll continue to roost where they have been.

 

[Intheswamp]

<sigh> zoo mama, are you still around? Best wishes with your chicken situation and your growing family.

Ed

 

[fiberart57]

If you really wish to contain your birds and don't wish to spend the money on a shed-type housing, knock some of the pallets together, preferably connected with some 2"x4" so you can make it taller, leave some space at the top covered with hardware cloth for ventilation, wrap it in plastic, toss in some branches for roosts, throw down some bedding, and call it done.

I live in western Colorado, not too far from you and our weather's beginning to turn. However, if you need insulation, use straw bales or hay bales.

I'm with others in my curiosity about how the chickens spent the winter without some kind of shelter and housing. Did you lose many to predators?

Anyway, good luck. Having chickens, or any animal, requires an investment of time and money as you probably know.

Mary

 

[zoo mama]

still here, have been battling a kidney and bladder infection,UGHH. we had put up a few wind breaks for the chickens. some straw bales, 2 high, on three sides and whatever we could span the top with, an old door, some scrap plywood. we also put scrap lumber around the bottoms of our rabbit cages for shelter. there was room for all of them to get out of the snow and rain, but there were many of them that NEVER sought shelter. a few roosters lost some of there combs, but we never lost any chickens to the weather. as to their feed my dad has a friend who sold us barley for 90$ a ton. not seed quality but still good feed quality. we have another friend with a grinder and we ground the barley in a 80-20% ratio with alfalfa. they do really good with it, and they also free range. our winter was pretty mild so they have been able to forage a lot more then we thought they would. my dad and us share the feed bill, he paid it and we paid back our share to him when our taxes came in. we were able to salvage some 2X4 panels that used to be attached to an old run down huge chicken coop. they will be approx 24X24ft and we started repairing them today. we will be putting 2 cattle panels together for a coop with tarps over the top. we were also given several rolls of old chicken wire, nothing fancy but still usable. as for nest boxes we have some 5 gallon buckets that were used to water our goats and they froze and cracked so cant hold water anymore, so they might as well hold eggs

i will try to get some pics posted when done. thanks for all your advise everyone talk to you again soon, alisa in idaho.
sorry so long