Post your Budget Savings Here!

[4theloveofhens]

College student here living on a budget-- wanted to see some pictures of creative ideas for nest boxes, chicken coops, decorations, feeders, waters, anything! Anything that is "out of the ordinary" and therefore ended up saving you money, let's see it!
Thanks I appreciate it!

 

[calista]

Since this is such a broad "wish list," I'd use your individual search terms to get what you're looking for right here on BYC. Try the Learning Center, Coop Designs, and Member Pages. That's where I started, and I got TONS of cool ideas for using salvageable and recycled materials on the cheap.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Check out my BYC page... I used alot of stuff I already had in mine and then my dad's sheds and items I found cheap and salvaged.

Also PVC pipe or Rebar (the small thin kind - but its runs a bit more tha PVC) make good run frames.

Ask around, post ads on craigslist your local radio station anything looking for people who are remodeling their houses or business and see if you can't salvaged their scrap left overs or the materials they would otherwise dump...or need a building torn down and offer your servies to help tear it down if you get to have your choice of the stripped materials.

I was lucky and happened to stop and ask these guys working on their mom's roof if I could have at the old materials, had gotten some good decent shingles but wound up not using them, but they got my # and called me back when they finished and sold me the new whole pieces and a scrap piece of plyboard they had left over for a bargain. Its the exterior kind of plyboard 1/2 inch which runs about 30 $ a sheet and they sold to me for 15$ for all they had left I think.

Just looking around, freecycle, craigslist, local radio station, newspaper, etc for materials....Milk crates for nest boxes (you can tend to find those free at alot of places) pallets - many places just toss 'em out and will let you come get what you want, flea markets or the re-store. Shop your hardware/improvement stores for clearance items or scraps (I hear of alot of places will sell small sections of tile, vinyl, and carpet thats left over from their rolls/boxes for WAY cheap - a couple cents per sq. ft)

The possibilites are endless!!!!!!

 

[nuts4hotwheels]

I posted on facebook and freecycle asking for free used lumber and got enough to build my coop and run. I bought two 8 foot 2x4s and the hardware like nails, screws, fence, etc but the rest of the wood was from an old wooden fence and scrap wood that was given to me. The corrugated roof was even free. Yes, I put chicken wire on top of the rabbit fence as well to keep predators out.

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

Quote:
$2.00 nest boxes two dollar store dish pans put together with zip ties

5.00 feeder

Use a funnel to keep food moving towards the holes.

 

[nuts4hotwheels]

I love the nest box idea

 

[smilingcat]

using salvaged plywood, chicken don't care the grade. It's 1/2" not sure of the grade, CDX don't think so... Only thing I had to buy were half a dozen 2x3s, few 2x2s and fsome hardware. Total cost without the paint is about $30.00 Maybe less. It is a small coop but that's less than a full sheet of ply. Ask around for used plywood. Plywood is expensive so try to reclaim/recycle those first. 2x4/2x3/2x2 and 2x1 furing strips are cheap so don't spend too much time with those. Inside the nest box, we are using small cheap cat litter pans. Too lazy to build a nest box. Besides, littter pan is cheaper. Just make sure to screw it into the coop.

 

[timp123]

1. industrial shipping crate (it measured approx 6' x6' x 11')
2. mutiple scrap 2x4's from same company that I got the crate from, used that to build the trusses
3. free scrap tin roofing from my brother
4. Storm door from Craigslist
5. 10x10x6 Dog Kennel from Craigslist

Purchased 4, 4x4's, screws, hardware cloth, 1x6 pine boards and some decking for the front.

I still have some work to do:

drop down ramp underneith.. one that can be raised up at night.
paint & stain
finish the run enclosure with hardware cloth all the way around.

 

[Spinster_Sister]

I love this thread! I'm telling you, there are no smarter people around than Poultry People!! Especially if they are out in the country!