Questions on new coop building materials

[Navyvet1204]

brand new here and have some questions in regards to building my first coop. I refuse to buy a pre-fab coop so I will utilize as much resources for free that I can. With that said, I have access to pretty much as many wooden pallets as I want from my job. Is it possible to build a coop on nothing but pallets or pallet boards? Chicken wire I know will be an expense of course.

 

[rosemarythyme]

There have been a number of people who've built pallet coops, either by using the pallets to create an underlying frame and then walling over them, or by taking the wood apart and using the pieces as building material.

Chicken wire isn't predator proof, I wouldn't use any of it in my chicken coop. It's fine for fencing chickens OUT of things, such as your garden.

 

[Notaneggspurt]

Hi and
There's a good many pallet coop builds. Might be able to do a search within the site for "pallet coop". Just a minor point of not getting chicken wire and hardware cloth confused. Chicken wire is pretty much only useful for keeping chickens contained and craft projects. Hardware cloth is well worth the investment. If you search predator protection it will give you some good ideas on how best to utilize it. Lots of folks will be able to give insights on local predator issues.

Also take into consideration our wonderful weather I'm a good ways north of you and the hot muggy summer and fall have been the biggest challenges next to the dogs people let run loose.

How many fluffy butts are you looking to start with?

 

[feathermaid]

Smart move to ditch the prefabs. Using free materials is always a good thing! I just came across this nice looking coop the other day made from pallets and it shows the whole building process:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cozy-rustic-pallet-coop.74648/

Here's a narrowed search for other coops using pallets or recycled materials:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/50137666/?q=pallet&t=ams_article&o=date&c[title_only]=1

I agree with everyone about using hardware cloth for the most secure run and coop you can get. The best price I've found is on Amazon. I got by using a 36"x50' roll plus one 10' roll to fill in some extra spaces for both my runs and coop windows. Just try to plan your framing so seams are at regular 12" intervals or whatever width HWC you get to avoid waste.

 

[Piatt]

brand new here and have some questions in regards to building my first coop. I refuse to buy a pre-fab coop so I will utilize as much resources for free that I can. With that said, I have access to pretty much as many wooden pallets as I want from my job. Is it possible to build a coop on nothing but pallets or pallet boards? Chicken wire I know will be an expense of course.

 

[Piatt]

I used guard rail post from my construction job that were free.

 

[Navyvet1204]

Hi and
There's a good many pallet coop builds. Might be able to do a search within the site for "pallet coop". Just a minor point of not getting chicken wire and hardware cloth confused. Chicken wire is pretty much only useful for keeping chickens contained and craft projects. Hardware cloth is well worth the investment. If you search predator protection it will give you some good ideas on how best to utilize it. Lots of folks will be able to give insights on local predator issues.

Also take into consideration our wonderful weather I'm a good ways north of you and the hot muggy summer and fall have been the biggest challenges next to the dogs people let run loose.

How many fluffy butts are you looking to start with?

Looking to have to hens and a rooster

 

[OhZark Biddies]

A couple more builds for inspiration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pallet-coop.1221222/#post-19544833

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pallet-chicken-coop.1266488/#post-20342839

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

I built a pallet coop some years ago and it’s still standing. I used the pallets for the base and built walls.

 

[blackdog043]

Check Amazon and walmart.com for 1/2" hardware cloth. It's usually cheaper than big box stores, yet still pricey.