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Thunder and lightning just started up again. We had that big nasty storm roll through here about 1:30-2:00 earlier. Of course I had just gotten done watering all the plants and I was in the coop scraping of the poop boards when the downpour started. Needless to say I got soaked running from the coop to the garage lol.
 
DJ Bear said:
Fayetteville PA is a newbie looking for the perfect coop for 7 chicks....the Bremerton Coop from Urban Chicken site has been ordered, but now delayed. Can one be made for $200-300???? Suggestions welcome. We have been all over the map checking here and most everywhere else with pics and posts. Some say 4x4 with a yard, while others say minimum 6x8.
Very confused, but anxious!?
Thanks
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I like to create a "hoop house" as cheap and useful housing. I think during the coldest part of the winter you might want to add a more sturdy, draft proof structure, leaving the hoop house as the perfect run for them. Search for it on this site, youtube and/or an internet search engine.
 
DJ Bear said:
Fayetteville PA is a newbie looking for the perfect coop for 7 chicks....the Bremerton Coop from Urban Chicken site has been ordered, but now delayed. Can one be made for $200-300???? Suggestions welcome. We have been all over the map checking here and most everywhere else with pics and posts. Some say 4x4 with a yard, while others say minimum 6x8.
Very confused, but anxious!?
Thanks
Click to expand...


There are free plans online from portions for a 4x4 coop. It could easily be expanded to 4x8= 32 sq ft. That can work for 7 birds. It would be 5 sheets of plywood and some dimensional lumber. That should be doable for $300. I built a walk in coop twice that size for 6.
Put it in a hoop structure or add a hoop run and you should be good to go.

Personally I think most of the shipped kits I've seen are inferior to what can be built for less.
 
chiques chicks said:
There are free plans online from portions for a 4x4 coop. It could easily be expanded to 4x8= 32 sq ft. That can work for 7 birds. It would be 5 sheets of plywood and some dimensional lumber. That should be doable for $300. I built a walk in coop twice that size for 6.
Put it in a hoop structure or add a hoop run and you should be good to go.

Personally I think most of the shipped kits I've seen are inferior to what can be built for less.
Click to expand...

x2
 
Auroradream26 said:
Hi and welcome! We're chicken newbies too but ours are 10 weeks old now so I don't know when we stop calling ourselves newbies lol
smile.png
the rule of thumb is that you need 4 sq ft of coop space and 10 sq ft of run per bird so for 7 birds, you'd need a 28 sq ft coop and 70 sq ft run. But as everyone on here always says, make it bigger than you think you'll need it because chickens are addicting lol. Can't offer any other advice than that for the coop as we built/are building our own.
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DJ Bear said:
Fayetteville PA is a newbie looking for the perfect coop for 7 chicks....the Bremerton Coop from Urban Chicken site has been ordered, but now delayed. Can one be made for $200-300???? Suggestions welcome. We have been all over the map checking here and most everywhere else with pics and posts. Some say 4x4 with a yard, while others say minimum 6x8.
Very confused, but anxious!?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Bear:

Just a couple of things to add....are you going Bantam or Large Foul, and some breeds do well in pens and some need to free range....I personally think $2-300.00 is a bit low for coop costs...even if you build yourself...you might consider a pallet coop...(Sally Sunshine built a nice one and has links in her signature)....I bought a kit to start and it was really not well made....and like Aura says....build bigger than you think you will need...after you get started you will want room extra room to grow....my two cents
 
dheltzel said:
I like to create a "hoop house" as cheap and useful housing. I think during the coldest part of the winter you might want to add a more sturdy, draft proof structure, leaving the hoop house as the perfect run for them. Search for it on this site, youtube and/or an internet search engine.
Click to expand...

Forgot to add, I make 8x12 hoop houses for about $100 each. If you were to add a "sleeping hutch" before winter, it would be fine for even a winter like we just had. And it's portable enough that you could drag it close to electricity for the winter and add a heated dog dish for water (I LOVE those, so much better than breaking out ice once or twice a day).
 
I have built coops for just the cost of hardware & wire. If you look around you can find all kinds of usable "scrap" that others have discarded. Palets make good wall & floor framing. Plywood & osb scraps are perfect for pop doors & window covers. Larger sheets of osb or pieces of corrugated metal or fiberglass make great roofs. I have even used old windows to make ground boxes for ducks & turkeys. You just have to put them in the shade or cover with tarp or feed bags to create shade if needed. I even used an old wardrobe closet to make a bantam coop. Last year, I made 3 chicken coops, 4 duck pens & a turkey pen & had less than $250 in materials between them all. biggest expense was wire. If you look around, you can find much cheaper ways to build your coop & still have it be sturdier than a prefab kit.
 
It's so funny. .. Our neighbors are starting to line up for our eggs and we still have at least 8 weeks till we start getting any! Lol. 3 neighbors are waiting so far.i think the word is spreading lol
 
This morning coming back, from the bus stop, I seen a black bear in my neighbors yard. I hope it doesn't come down this way. I'm alittle scared to go out in the yard by myself to take care of the chickens. I don't want to meet the bear face to face. It was only 4 acres away. :( Everything is green now making it harder to spot predators.
 

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