Planning/Designing a Coop & Run - Need Your Help, Experience and Input, Please!

[Maurana]

Hey all,

So, after receiving so much awesome and helpful feedback in planning my future flock, I'm now posting here in hopes of further help from you wonderful people! I received 2 of these 2x6 chicken nesting boxes from my mother. Originally I was thinking of incorporating one of these into a coop and run for my in-laws and then one for myself, but when I saw that the ratio of nest box to hens ranged from 1:3 to 1:5, I about had a heart attack! I'm not planning on owning up to 60 chickens, even WITH chicken math! More around the area of starting with a dozen and then working my way up to maybe 20-24 total...

So! Should I incorporate these premade, metal nesting boxes into a coop design? If so, how would it best be incorporated? They mainly need some scrubbing, elbow grease, and the wood changed out on the back to remove the risk of splinters on the old wood. I'm also contemplating painting them with some of that rubber-like paint that seals in aluminum I've read about on other coop designs. Would that be wise since chickens would be laying in here?



I'm also seeking help in how to make a floor plan. I'm currently skulking on Craig's List for whenever people post free building materials such as aluminum siding, lumber, plywood, 2x4s, cabinetry, old sheds(garden, tool, etc.), or even an old horse trailer (from what I've seen on coop designs so far on BYC!). I'm scouring for such materials for I have NO money to buy the fancy-shmancy stuff that's out there, let alone a new garden/tool shed to mangle and renovate. Any recommendations on where else to scour for free building materials?

Honestly, any and ALL suggestions, tips, guidance would be MOST appreciated!

Ciao for now,
Maurana

 

[MizzouLawyer]

On the scouring for free materials topic -- Find some new home construction in your area (like a subdivision or something). Especially after the framing stage -- we just went through this building our own house. I built my new coop contemporaneously with the framing of our house and you wouldn't believe how much stuff goes on the "scrap pile" that can be salvaged for the construction of a new coop. And for what we didn't use for our coop, I had a few of our subcontractors asking to haul away some of those other "scraps." Since most builders/homeowners have to pay for the removal of these "junk materials," most of them are THRILLED to have someone offering to dig through the piles and haul it away for free...

Also, this is a helpful site for some ideas on a nice little coop/run... http://ana-white.com/2012/05/plans/shed-chicken-coop

Good luck!

 

[shmccarthy]

Hi, I'm not sure how much help this would be, but my entire coop is made from repurposed materials. Some of it I found in my garage and the rest of it I found on the side of the road, at the end of people's driveways, and just things people are throwing out. I picked up 3 large sheets of plywood yesterday actually I would keep an eye out for that, you'd be surprised at what you can find.