NY chicken lover!!!!

[wny egger]

I am VERY uncrafty and don't know how to build ANYTHING. I have some very basic tools, but don't own a saw or anything like that. If it's ridiculously easy, I may be able to manage it.

then a hoop house maybe perfected for you ..theres not alot to building them really ..

 

[Metella]

I am the same - I can't even make a FRAME if someone cuts it on the right angles !!!!

But if you are a little better than that - you can build a hoop coop ! Everything but the door is basically done with the hoop as your structure ... and the door can just be a simple rectangled frame. Put a nice medium to heavy weight tarp over it and BAM chickies are safe from wet and wind and fine for the winter ....

 

[FritaFrittata]

It's so intimidating. I wish I knew someone who had hoop-coop experience who lived close enough to help. I pay in some pretty amazing pulled pork, and as many beers as it takes to assemble a hoop coop!

 

[FritaFrittata]

Here is the corner of my yard I'm hoping to put it in. I have to be a bit careful, since we aren't allowed to have chickens in the village. (we can have them in the TOWN, just not the VILLAGE, which is stupid.) I figure anything that is covered in tarps is going to look like a greenhouse, if anyone is really looking.

 

[rancher hicks]

I am the same - I can't even make a FRAME if someone cuts it on the right angles !!!!

But if you are a little better than that - you can build a hoop coop ! Everything but the door is basically done with the hoop as your structure ... and the door can just be a simple rectangled frame. Put a nice medium to heavy weight tarp over it and BAM chickies are safe from wet and wind and fine for the winter ....

If you have trouble building a door just buy one. I've used screen doors and stapled or nailed poultry wire over the cheap screening. Covered with plastic in the winter it should be fine. Though you might want to use hardware cloth instead of poultry wire.

My wooden coop has a storm door on it and the inside door is left open all year.

I'm using recycled feed bags to cover the sides of my hoops. Under those is cardboard, but you could use the plastic stuff used under flooring or fleece. I use only fleece on the front sides and they seem fine. Not heat either.

 

[FritaFrittata]

This may be a stupid question... but how do you know the door you buy is going to fit within the arch that the cattle panels make?

... I am so clueless when it comes to construction things, but I have a few months and I'm willing to learn.

My frita, after giving me an egg this morning - she's such a sweet hen, loves to cuddle in my lap.

 

[Beer can]

Geez, I was going to suggest a coop like mine, simple and sturdy. It came with the house, and could use some cosmetic work. I need to double the size this spring, so I was looking up material costs, and its a lot more $$ than I thought. Its 8'x16' metal roof, just sheets of plywood with stripes of 3/4"x11/2" board to make it look more like a barn. Metal poles in the corners, chicken wire for run. I think I might have to look into other options, otherwise I might not be able to aford more birds. Built right though, it should last many yrs and look good though.

 

[boskelli1571]

This may be a stupid question... but how do you know the door you buy is going to fit within the arch that the cattle panels make?

... I am so clueless when it comes to construction things, but I have a few months and I'm willing to learn.

My frita, after giving me an egg this morning - she's such a sweet hen, loves to cuddle in my lap.

You can adjust the height of the arch by making the width larger/smaller when you bend the panels. Easiest way is to go measure the door you want (2nd hand at a junkyard/restore etc.) and see how high your frame needs to be. There are some excellent, simple 'how-tos' in the learning center here.

 

[Beer can]

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[Pyxis]

I see we're talking hoop coops! I'm the one who talked Metella into her temporary one. I love mine to death. I have two, and will be building a third just for brooding in the spring. They go up so easily. Here's a couple pictures of mine:

If you think these would work for you, if you click "My Coop" under my avatar, you can see how mine were built. Really easy and inexpensive. Pretty sure my big one cost less than $300.