Reclaimed Coop

[moodlymoo]

I have decided to set my mother in-law up with chickens today as a surprise. She wants them but I havent had time to go help her until today. I idea for a very low cost chicken coop is a bottom unit set of kitchen cupboards, the type that is under your sink so to speak. I can add a roost on one side and a nest box on the other. Whatcha think? I only have 100 to do the whole thing and can get good feed for 20.00 for 50lbs, I have tons of chicken wire, 1x2's, a nest box, extra feeders, so my only cost so far is the feed and the cabinets. I really hope this will work. We live in a very wet area so I think I may tarp the whole area and put a piece of plywood over the top. Please tell me this will work

 

[ChickInDelight]

With a good dose of determination, it will work! Post pictures as you go and the BYC experts will help.

I built a duckhouse with no plans from pallets and scraps for $100. (Then, I spent much more on auto-waterers and decor.)

 

[moodlymoo]

Quote:
My coop was supposed to cost 400 but lets be honest, it was about 5x that much because I wanted to add so much to it. We were also going to have 6 chickens but I now have 17 and 3 more on the way today...gotta love the chicken math. I will post pics for sure

She wants ducks too since she has a massive pond in her yard, can you tell me what they need for a coop? Would another cabinet set-up work?

 

[mamabigbird]

How many hens will live in this coop?
It sounds very small.
And will they be warm and dry enough? (Supposed to have another nasty winter this year)
Will they have any yard or pen to stretch their legs each day?
Also chicken wire is not predator proof. A raccoon or weasel will pull them right through it.
It's a nice idea to surprise your MIL with chickens but it is important to think beyond the initial thrill
and plan their coop well.

 

[moodlymoo]

Quote:
They will have 1/2 acer to free range, she will have 2-3 bantam chickens, and I have been using chicken wire for quite a while with no problems. A bottom cabinet unit is about 3x5x3 so they will have plenty of space. This has been well thought out I was just running the idea of the cabinet unit past others for good ideas. We dont have a big predator problem here in the city. If you have any ideas for this please share them

 

[wilobrookfarms]

Somewhere on here someone did exactly what your describing. They painted it up cute, put a roof on, and it is adorable! I'm not sure what post though

 

[zooarch]

I found this thread that might be helpful.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4467545

Quote:

 

[Trish44]

Here's one I found:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4467545

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If you've plenty of 1x2's then all you need is 2 panels of plywood. You'll be better off making one out of 3 sheets of plywood than using a counter. Especially if you plan on buying the counter. Say you make the dimensions 3.5 X 3.5 then a half sheet will overhang the top. I used 3/8 exterior sheathing and stained it, 2x2's as nailers and supports. Check my page if you like, total cost to me with a tractor on wheels was just over $200, the coop less the $30 shingles was about $100. Just put the coop on stilts instead of a tractor and silicone the roof joint after staining instead of shingles.

 

[SteveBaz]

What a nice SON!!! Nice project