Small Chicken Coop (how inexpensive can you go)

[kiweed]

Dig the profile name too.

 

[Dirty Farmer]

Here's where I stopped for the night. I'll sink my teeth back into it in the morning.

I even had one of the barn cats stop by and see what all the commotion was about.

 

[Kikiriki]

I need a truck...I've been imagining how to get that wood into my little rice burner! Looks like you are off to a great start, but that metal worries me. Seems like the chickens would slide and get injured. I would plan to put a couple of inches of nice clean sand down on it to help with the mess, and provide traction.

But I'm a newbie so others would have better input.

Good luck!

 

[Dirty Farmer]

The floor will be covered with a couple inches ofstraw or wood shavings. Which ever the wife decides on.

 

[Kudzu]

Quote:
Bring my cat back home.........please

 

[Dirty Farmer]

It's starting to look like a chicken coop.

I made it so it has four nest boxes, that you can retreive the eggs from the outside.

For easy clean up, I added a dropping board underneath the roosts. You can get to the dropping board from the back side of the coop through an access door.
I used 2x4's (flat side up) for the roosting perches.

I picked up an old wood exterior door. I cut the door up so I could use the window for the coop.

The 3/4" wood plank siding is on.

I have to make a door yet. That's on my to do list for tomorrow.

So far all the 2x4's, 4x4's and 1/2" planks came from free skids, and the 3/4" planks and the OSB sheets came from free crates.

My total so far is:
$15.00 -Roll of Hardware cloth (window, vent, under roosts)
$3.50 -3/4" Poultry staples (for the hardware cloth)
$20.00 -Hinges
$3.00 -Screws (for hinges)
$8.00 -Nails and screws
$3.00 -Metal window corner braces

So far other than time, I have $52.50 into it.

I hope the chicken will like it.

 

[bryan99705]

Very nice job for a steel worker, can the door to the poop tray be proped open for ventilation? How about the windows on the front?

 

[Dirty Farmer]

Quote:
Thank you for the compliment. I hardly ever grab a hammer and nails. Metal work comes more natural for me.

For ventilation, the front 26"x 28" window is hinged at the top, and can swing open. And above the roost pearches, there's a 45"x 7" window (more of a wood panel) that is hinged, and can be opened. With that open and the window open, it should get good cross ventilation.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Wow!

 

[BackyardFarmMama]

nice!