Struggling with affordability of coop

[blackdog043]

I have 1 foot eaves all the way around but plan on just putting soffit up. I have 3 windows and a metal roof that I left vented for heat.

1/2" hardware cloth instead of the usual soffit materials,
along with gable and ridge vents gives great air flow year round.

X 2 for using hardware cloth. It will give you better ventilation, because it is less restrictive. It my not look as nice, but it's more effective, which is what you want. I used hardware cloth on my lean to coop soffits, for this reason.

 

[paintedChix]

Here's our el cheapo solution, which I have posted a time or two on other threads. You can get 275 gallon IBC totes and in just a couple of hours with a reciprocating saw, or dual saw, turn them in to water tight, easy to clean, and cheap chicken housing.
The tanks are about 4x4, and we sometimes put two together like a duplex. My wonderful husband cuts windows and door openings which we cover with wire, or slide plastering lathe over, using the metal container frame to hold it in place when we want it closed. We use scrap 2x4 lumber for roosts which are held in place simply by protruding from the openings made to insert them-you can get the idea. There is a round screw-off fill opening at the top and an open/close drain valve at the bottom of the back vertical wall. The drain makes it a breeze to hose out when necessary, and the top opening is good for hanging feeders, or lights, or whatever you may need. We also put an A-frame roof over the tops of most of ours to shed water and provide shade. These are made from 8' lengths of PVC corrugated roofing sheets screwed to the frame. Cut in half, one $15 sheet will cover one tote with a small overhang on the sides. This is best done with hex washer drill point roofing screws; they are pricey for screws, but make the job much easier.
IBC totes are not too hard to come by used. Just look on craiglist. We use totes that previously held polymer floor coating and do not feel that food grade is necessary as the totes wash out very clean with no residual odor. We sell them at our feed store for $75 bucks, rinsed out and delivered, if in town. Ours we get from a local flooring company just for hauling them away, so maybe call around to find a deal. People use them for all kinds of stuff, including hauling potable water, as many homesteads in our area have no water service and must haul if they do not have a well. They are not predator proof by themselves, but work great inside an enclosed run or, as in our case, surrounded by electric poultry net. Hope this sparks an idea for somebody.

If no one else asks, I'd love to see pics! I'm drawing a blank at some of the things you mentioned.

 

[paintedChix]

It's definitely a time vs. money battle. I decided back in September that I wanted chickens and have been researching DIY projects and checking Craiglist, facebook marketplace and our local habitat store non-stop. I've spent $135 so far (including hardware cloth) and am maybe 1/3 through the build. My materials are not the best quality and I'm a newbie with chickens and construction, so we'll see how things actually end up! All that to say, I think you can save a lot of money but you have to be willing to put a lot of time and effort into it. I've been building/planning for 6 months but I am able-bodied with no kids and a car that can fit large supplies! I don't know if I'd be making the same decisions if some of those factors were different! DIYing has been a fun learning experience though!

Pictures of your build?

 

[Fiasco]

I'm not sure if anybody has mentioned pallets on this thread yet, but...

I'm in the process of building a chicken house (about 4 by 7-8 feet) out of free pallets. I got some very nice, sturdy (heavy!) pallets in the dimensions above, and now I've screwed them all together. That's the easiest way I know of to make a wooden frame, and I found a couple of sheets of free plywood with them. Some shingles, hardware cloth, spare boards, and hardware, and I should be able to finish the assembly fairly easily.

Pallets are easy to come by, (at least where I am, in NS) and I find them in heaps at all kinds of construction stores or anywhere that receives large shipments of stuff. In my opinion, you could "make do" with something like this, or pamper your chickens with something much nicer. Building something on your own isn't so daunting as you may think; my first experience with construction was a chicken coop (a few years ago) and it felt amazing to see my accomplishment! I'm 15, by the way, with zero previous experience.

P.S. - Google has tons of DIY chicken coop ideas. My dad always said one thing that gave him "hope for society" was the number of unique and resourceful chicken coops people have made! Haha. (sorry for rambling!)

 

[sevenfatcows]

If no one else asks, I'd love to see pics! I'm drawing a blank at some of the things you mentioned.

I will try to get some pictures posted soon. We have been using ours about four years-I got the idea from looking at a premade $1,000 (!) plastic coop with lots of nice-sounding features, but only 4x4' interior space. We figured we could make something very workable, and we have. It is only a shelter and a "bedroom" within the run; we never confine them to it, except in the case of a broody hen and her nest. We have seven in use. I need my DH to help me with photos but will follow through.

 

[Afrodigh]

Pictures of your build?

I will post some as soon as the rain lets up!!

 

[m1chelle1]

I do have all the tools I'll need. I'm quite handy and have done a good deal of home remodeling so the labor isn't at issue. I'm just south of Seattle, WA so we get a lot of rain but our temperature doesn't go much below 25F at the coldest and we're lucky to hit 90F for a week or 2 in the summer.

Welcome...and Good Post. Yeah, materials in King county in general are going to cost you $$$. You might luck out finding scraps in more of the farming communities in Pierce Co (Puyullup, Enumclaw, etc) if you have time to drive and scrounge. Ive seen some posts from other PNW'ers who have places they have purchased from, might be good options too. I built my own, and like others have said, it is costly. I'm in S King county and materials for us are Not Cheap So I feel your pain. Would be interested to know what you decide on. Especially with all of this good advice!!!

In other news-- you should go onto your profile (click on your account) and on Personal Details, and add in there your location. Doesn't have to be specific (I have western wa) but it gives everyone a better idea of where you are located, and we can give advice based off of that. A lot of good advice stems from being able to know someone else's location. Hope that helps, happy hunting

 

[gcarmack2001]

We don't really do coops, as they are too expensive (though I would love to have them for each pen) but we do pens with one end covered with tin and the other open. I think my dad built one for $50-$100, and it looks really nice. I would've appreciated something to cover the front of the covered side so rain can't blow in, but things can always be changed later on if necessary. You could also build a smaller barn of buy a wooden shed and just build several pens branching off of it. It's some ideas, but it all depends on your situation, price range, how much space you have, etc.

 

[Chickenchip]

I see some runs with rocks or bricks around the fencing. I assume it’s to keep critters for digging down through the fence. Would I have to dig down some before putting the rocks or bricks in or could I just lay them in staggered one on top of each othertia

 

[rosemarythyme]

I see some runs with rocks or bricks around the fencing. I assume it’s to keep critters for digging down through the fence. Would I have to dig down some before putting the rocks or bricks in or could I just lay them in staggered one on top of each othertia

A wire mesh apron is a far better choice for keeping pests/predators out, because it forms an actual barrier that actively discourages digging. Putting down a few bricks just encourages to dig from the edge of bricks in.