Recycling Materials to Build your COOP

[ducks4you]

Loved the links!

Don't think that we have 2 DECADES to build our coops, though. If you had time, and wanted to build an addition to your coop, you could construct a bottle window for the birds. It would a lot like those glass squares in bathrooms with exterior windows.

I hope that this thread is encouraging people who aren't sure about using used materials, OR how to use them for their coops.

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

Here are some pics of the pallet grow out coop my son has been building is not finished but I think its looking good.

you can see he didnt take the pallets apart he used additional board to close in the gaps it looks very rustic total cost so far $5.96 for nails.

 

[Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil]

Quote:
Very cool! I like the bottle one from 1907, it looks better then the ones built now!
You should check out Mother Earth News, they have some really neat "alternative" buildings.

Hey! I'll be in your neck of the woods the end of June begining of July! My mom lives there. My youngest sister just graduated from Derby High School.

 

[Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil]

Quote:
That looks GREAT!!

I really like the look it gives!

I think that is the route I will take when I have to build an addition...to the coop that isn't even finished yet!

 

[Sam The Yam]

Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil :

Quote:
I like the design of your coop, nice job!
You should start a thread of building your coop, I would definately like to see how it all comes together.

I have farming in my blood too, must be the pioneer heritage!

Hey! thanks for the response. I have been excited to see this come together with the material that I have. I recently got a cabinet from my work that is perfect for my nest boxes. It will attach to the outside of one of the ends which will actually give me more chicken feet space on the inside. I also obtained a door from a relative that he was going to throw away, it had a small hole in it, and I thought it would be fun to cut out a large hole in the shape of an egg and cover it with wire so that I could have a nice "eggoval" door design. It might inspire the chickens to really be productive!

Here's my nest box, I just have to add separators, and then put the back piece on it and the hinged door for egg access from outside the coop, and cut out the entry way on the inside access for hens.

This is my "eggoval" door(not attached yet) Kind of silly but hey, it will look pretty cool:

I am glad you mentioned the pioneer heritage. Yes, indeed I have great pioneer heritage. I am proud of my LDS heritage. In fact, my wife and I, and two of my daughters, will be participating in a pioneer handcart trek re-enactment in June for the youth of our church. We are excited, we have done prior ones and always look forward to any others.​

 

[Sam The Yam]

Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil :

Quote:
I like the design of your coop, nice job!
You should start a thread of building your coop, I would definately like to see how it all comes together.

I have farming in my blood too, must be the pioneer heritage!

I actually have a thread going, check it out under Coop & Run Design and Construction titled:
Les palettes pour le Poulets (The Pallets for the Pullets)​

 

[Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil]

Someone posted this on freecycle.com I'm going to pick it up tomorrow.

FREE, FREE, FREE!!!

The coop I'm building now I can give to the kids for a play house, which they have already taken over anyway!

 

[Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil]

Quote:
I like the design of your coop, nice job!
You should start a thread of building your coop, I would definately like to see how it all comes together.

I have farming in my blood too, must be the pioneer heritage!

Hey! thanks for the response. I have been excited to see this come together with the material that I have. I recently got a cabinet from my work that is perfect for my nest boxes. It will attach to the outside of one of the ends which will actually give me more chicken feet space on the inside. I also obtained a door from a relative that he was going to throw away, it had a small hole in it, and I thought it would be fun to cut out a large hole in the shape of an egg and cover it with wire so that I could have a nice "eggoval" door design. It might inspire the chickens to really be productive!

Here's my nest box, I just have to add separators, and then put the back piece on it and the hinged door for egg access from outside the coop, and cut out the entry way on the inside access for hens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/27085_img_6444.jpg

This is my "eggoval" door(not attached yet) Kind of silly but hey, it will look pretty cool:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/27085_img_6439.jpg

I am glad you mentioned the pioneer heritage. Yes, indeed I have great pioneer heritage. I am proud of my LDS heritage. In fact, my wife and I, and two of my daughters, will be participating in a pioneer handcart trek re-enactment in June for the youth of our church. We are excited, we have done prior ones and always look forward to any others.

I have yet to be able to attend one. Its always something with me. When they had it two years ago I had a week old baby. This year its a sprained right ankle and a broken left toe!
The family sure loves going!

 

[Peregrine]

We bought a lot of the wood for our coop because we wanted to make sure it was pressure-treated and would hold up to the weather ("Build it once; build it right"). But some things we have reused are:

--Extra fencing from around our garden (after the neighbor's dog chewed through the chicken wire)

--Louver doors from my bedroom closet that got taken out when we renovated the bedroom

--Bicycle tires (it's a tractor) from my kids bike that I ran over in the driveway

 

[Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil]

Quote:
Chewed through the chicken wire?!! Whoa!

That is a great idea to use bicycle tires! I have backed into the kids bikes SEVERAL times, I know I will make it completely over one one of these days. Now I know what I can do with it!