no money, skills or ideas.... Help?

[AHappychick]

chickensducks&agoose :

All this makes me feel better! I'm not looking forward to 3 months as a single mom, and the coop needs to get built, and there's nobody else to do it!

its hard doing it all yourself I know. I have always been handy but when DH died I needed to really become both the woman and man. Needless to say I am now in the best shape I have ever been in with huge muscles and I have never been in a gym. I have learned to do everything the boys can do and much more. Even so it never hurts to cheat a little and start with something to build off of like the dog house. You will see by the time your DH comes back how much more sufficient you will have become. Good luck

 

[bigmike&nan]

Quote:
its hard doing it all yourself I know. I have always been handy but when DH died I needed to really become both the woman and man. Needless to say I am now in the best shape I have ever been in with huge muscles and I have never been in a gym. I have learned to do everything the boys can do and much more. Even so it never hurts to cheat a little and start with something to build off of like the dog house. You will see by the time your DH comes back how much more sufficient you will have become. Good luck

Having been away in the military myself I know your DH will be really happy and feel like he can concentrate on his mission more if you are handling things at home with great aplomb...

best of luck...

 

[Gwirithil]

Quote:
This is a FABULOUS idea. Can I ask what he used as the 'insulation' he's put inside the pallets?

 

[klf73]

Quote:
This is a FABULOUS idea. Can I ask what he used as the 'insulation' he's put inside the pallets?

actually we used regular house insulation that they sell at lowe's. it comes encased in plastic and worked perfectly for what we needed

 

[ChickenNoodle]

I'd say go with the doghouse idea. You can also use 2 milkcrates tied together with an opening cut out for nesting boxes. You might want to try www.freecycle.org Everything there is free! I've found many decent things there. There's always Craigs list too. For free labor, if your kids are old enough, they can be a big help too! Good luck!!

 

[TexasVet]

There are links to tons of coop ideas, plans, and pictures here:
http://www.countrychickens.com/country_chickens_4_007.htm

I'm going to go back through them myself this weekend, because I just bought 30 new peeps that are going to need a home in a couple of months.

Kathy in Texas

 

[erin0415]

The plastic buckets from cat litter work great for nesting boxes too. Some of them even have a lip on them to hold eggs in.

 

[AHappychick]

Quote:
oh tell me more.... I have tons of them i usually use for mixing cement, or mortar or as bait buckets lol

 

[crzychicken]

If you live near a Home Depot or Lowes they have culled wood it's cut to 4' or 6 ft. I built a 6X8 coop for under 100 dollars and if you need somthing cut just ask they are happy to do that for you. I also used skrews instead of nails, windows I used old free ones I just made them slide and old doors also. If you ask they even sell returned or displayed windows and door for ten dollars and up. Craiglist and freecycle works real well, even a rabbit hutch will work. I built my coop DH didn't want anything to do with my chickens so I did it made some mistakes but o well it still works fine and my chicken don't complain I used milk crates for nesting boxes, buckets, wood boxes, Salvation Army has baskets they work also.And you always have BYC to turn for help
Good luck

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

I would say go with the doghouse thing. I obtained two of the large plastic ones last year for free from a neighbor that was going to throw them in the dump. With a little bleach they looked almost new.