Struggling with affordability of coop

[Afrodigh]

Pictures of your build?

Here is the progress so far! I have the coop framed, the base for the coop built, and two sides done. We started working on the foundation yesterday. So far I’ve spent $136.11 thanks to Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, and our local Habitat for Humanity store!

 

[Tawnya Blackburn]

If you're planning on making any of the walls solid I recommend pickets. You can get 4" wide by 8' tall pickets for $1.68 each. They are sturdy, weatherproof and easy to cut to the size you need.

 

[sevenfatcows]

Here are the promised pix of the IBC Upcycle coop. There is one photo of the cube without its roof. In that one the basic cuts can be seen, also the opening at the top and the drain at the bottom. The others show the finished coop with its PVC roof. Out of view are the two window cuts which are just slightly smaller than the door opening. They are closed up against the wind as there are lightweight birds in this coop which need some protection in the winter.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I have no idea where you are located, (hot/cold/flat/mountains) but if you want to keep the chickens happy on days that can't free range you need a nice sized run and a coop that is waterproof and safe. Look on Craigslist for chicken wire/hardware cloth or tight fencing at a discount for the run. You can use a resin shed (you just have to cut a hole in the back for the chickens to go in and out) and add nesting boxes and roosts. Resin sheds are durable, never rot, never need painting. Look for a used resin shed as well. If you have to buy one, wait for a sale and you can pick up an 8x10 for around $400! The construction will depend on weather, predator problems and land availability. Build something nice! Good luck, I know you can do it on a budget! And, remember to have fun!

 

[sevenfatcows]

I've looked at all sorts of sources from Amazon to Walmart to local feed stores. I've also looked at local buy-nothing groups, Craigslist, and things like that. I've got a fairly basic (if large, 8x8) coop design sketched out but might want to go with a kit since it's my first coop and it seems like my options are all quite expensive.

Option 1: Buy kit
To get a kit for 10+ chickens seems to start at around $800

Option 2: Buy building materials from the hardware store
I threw everything (studs, OSB, plywood, roofing, treated posts, hardware cloth) into an online cart at Home Depot and came to about $500. I imagine my actual cost would be higher because I'm sure I'm not accounting for everything.

Option 3: Spend weeks digging through free ads for construction materials to scrounge together most of what I need
This would be time consuming, gas consuming, and would probably leave me with lower quality materials.

Am I missing something, or is a coop of any size beyond about 4x4 feet gonna hit my wallet pretty hard? Are there inexpensive prefabbed options out there? I'm in a very mild climate so I don't need anything fancy. I'm also planning to free range them most of the time, so all the coops with big attached runs are overkill.

How are you coming along on your coop build?

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Here are the promised pix of the IBC Upcycle coop. There is one photo of the cube without its roof. In that one the basic cuts can be seen, also the opening at the top and the drain at the bottom. The others show the finished coop with its PVC roof. Out of view are the two window cuts which are just slightly smaller than the door opening. They are closed up against the wind as there are lightweight birds in this coop which need some protection in the winter.

I love innovation like this. I think you might eventually have problems with UV degradation of that exposed HDPE plastic. Not sure that it's UV stabilized all that well. A coat of spray paint might take care of that.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

We have seven in use.

How many birds per IBC coop?

 

[sevenfatcows]

As may as eight Orpingtons can roost in the coop-that was my maximum capacity. As I have said before, it is only a "bedroom." The only time I ever confine anyone inside is when I use it for a broody and her chicks. The tanks are designed to be out in the sun and weather. Our first one, which is still in use, is over 10 years old, having spent its first decade in our neighbor's field, in full sun, holding water for a horse for a few years and then empty. It has been a coop for about four years now. The only way I can tell it apart from one acquired and adapted this year is by the style of door that we first tried. You will see these sitting in agricultural fields for years where they are used to hold chemical solutions for fertilizer or insecticide. I really do not know what type of plastic it is, except that it reminds me of the stuff "Little Tykes" outdoor toys are made of; the plastic might even be a bit heavier than the toys. I don't know how it would work in a very cold climate. Though it freezes here and sometimes snows, our main issue is heat, so we have very large openings on two or three sides of each one, and the roofs for shade.

 

[Webbdav]

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.

I see your guys point, but as you pointed out the hardware cloth doesn't look great , so I think I will fully vent my soffit and will get the same effect without unsightly hardware cloth on the soffit.