Suddenly single w/4 kids, 22 3 wk old chx,&no building skillz-links pl

[kera!]

You can do it and I think the easiest one is a lean to style one so you can use a whole piece on the top rather than building rafters, look up on the internet I think you can do it, ask around at church, a community center the basics are you center the board in the middle of the wall and measure out so they are spaced evenly you will do great,,also look up the coop on this that made from pallets it is fun...that would good

 

[fargosmom]

First I'll chime in - YOU CAN DO THIS! Second, if you have a lot of plywood around, you might just be able to throw something together for cheap that would get you through till you can make better plans. Especially if you can enlist some help from the 4H that's going to get half your chicks anyway! Plus your tween who wants to eat more ethically should have to be part of the whole project too. If you take it in small bites it's not so overwhelming - basically all you're doing is building a big wooden box, with a door or two in it, with an attached "box" that's covered with chicken wire or wire cloth. Yes I know there's more to it than that, but remember - baby steps! If you start small and easy, and make LOTS of mistakes along the way (but accept them for the lessons they bring) you can pull this off. There are plenty of threads on here that illustrate people using whatever they have at hand to build their coops, and chickens don't care what their houses look like. At least it would get them out of your living room and buy you some time to really think about what you want, and get your budget together. I did more than 60% of the construction on our coop with zero building experience.
You CAN do it!

You CAN do it!!

 

[onthespot]

You can make a cheap cheap cheap hoop coop with PVC frame. Buy some 1" pvc, and drive one foot lengths of it into the ground. Get some smaller PVC 20' lenths that will slide into the 1" stuff, and put one end in the piece you drove into the ground, and walk to the other side of where you want your pole to go into the ground, and where the arc feels "about right" mark the ground with a rock, gently let go of the long piece of PVC, and drive another 1" pvc into the ground, and slide the end of the skinny pvc into the ground. Do this a few times, and you can just attach wire to the frame, and by connecting it several times per arc, it will give stability to the structure. You can attach a tarp over the top for shade and shelter. Build a small coop off one end from pallets. You can even tie them together with string for a rough set up, and then just screw a bunch of that plywood all over the outside for structure and windbreak and it'll work until you can figure out how to use the tools he left, and build yourself a proper coop and run. You might even win a "tacky coop and run" contest, LOL. If someone laughs at you, you can say "onthespot made me do it!"

 

[woody1]

If you're going to try to keep 12 chickens, you will eventually need a pretty significant coop and run. You'll need a coop around 6x8' and a run around 8x16 or thereabouts. In the short tern you're going to want to get those chicks outa the house pretty soon :>) That said, and keeping it simple, check out this thread, especially the swingset ideas... I haven't checked but a search here for "swingset" might dredge up some more. A simple "A" frame is prob'ly the easiest construction. I see swingsets at the dump. Wish I was closer, I'd help you out but 3000 miles is a little too far for me!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=297739

Finding and using an old pickup canopy, "topper" might work for you also.

Regards, Woody

 

[fried green eggs]

Hi I talked to my friends in TN and they are not going to be able to help you at this time but, they told me they have been seeing listings in'Trading Post' classifieds for coops and always people listed as general builders/carpenters you could contact. They also said Mize in Johnson City located across from ETSU has all sizes of pre-built coops and you could even find someone at the feed store to help you build something out of what you have. Wish I lived closer but, you have gotten lots of feedback and ideas so, I'm sure you can find a way to get something put together to work for you

 

[sab]

 

[TNkidsnextdoor]

Aw, you guys are bringing smiles to my face. i got some 2x4s today (before I saw all these posts--I was gung-ho about getting something done!), and so now i am pretty sure I have everything but a saw, but I am pretty sure my neighbor has one, and I bet he'd cut the wood for me too.

I wasted a lot of time today digging holes in the yard and making 4 concrete blocks level. I don't know why--my dad told me to do it to put 4x4s on to start a frame. He's kind of a perfectionist, so maybe I'll ignore him and just do the best I can. I got a drill on clearance at Lowes, and so surely I can make, as you said, a box. And I guess I need to quit worrying about winterizing and all that, since it is April. I am sure I will be an expert coop builder by then!

Great advice about Mize in JC. I actually work within walking distance from there! I hadnt thot about it since I've never been there and thot it was a greenhouse, but I looked it up, and it is not! Also, great idea about the Trading Post. That is something else I never think about bc I've never used it. I spent a lot of time looking at shed building places, but they were expensive, but also they were big and fancy.

I asked my brother what people did with their chickens before big fancy coops, and he said, "They had the chickens live in their houses." Which is not really working for us, altho I had the thot that it might be easier to just replace my cheap floors with dirt and go for it, lol.

I can do pvc for a run, great idea!

Baby steps. baby steps. I love What About Bob. I've been repeating Dory the Fish from Nemo "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming" but I might switch it to baby steps. And pretty soon I'll be like, "Look at me! I'm sailing! I'm a sailor! And I built a coop!"

I'll get a trading post tomorrow, to see what I can come up with for longer term needs, and I will start tomorrow night on my transitioning to outside box!


Golly, me nieghbors are so gonna hate me. I'm doing this all in my front yard, and this is taking precedence to much needed mowing.

Hopefully I'll have enough fresh eggs and can get it together enough for them to forgive me.

And thanks again for all the advice & support.

And thanks for asking your friends. That was sweet.

I can kinda start to tell I am distracting myself by focusing on this chicken issue (I can't help it tho, they are so loud, and in the middle of my house!), bc otherwise I will have to face the loneliness. You guys are really helping me tho. Thanks for that.

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

For a cheap, temporary, "get em out of the house" fix, go down to Walmart, and look at their "screened tents" in the camping section for like $30.00, throw a few sawhorses in there for perches, weigh down the edges with rocks, and Voila! Insta-coop so you don't have to stress about getting a legit coop done immediately, and you get your chickens out of the house. Of course, I'm assuming you have decent weather... I am a So. Cal. native... I don't comprehend real weather....LOL.

I used one of these "tents" as a run all last year during the daytime for my bantams. I have big hawks in my area, and I won't let my chickens "free range" unless me or the kids are supervising. I really only worry about aerial predators, as my yard is fenced, and my dogs patrol the ground level. At night I'd put all my chickens in their solid coops.

It would at least get the chickens out of the house during the day??

Edit: I meant to add..... IF YOU DON'T HAVE LOTS OF GROUND PREDATORS

 

[2DogsCoop]

Just hang in there and keep telling yourself you can get it done. Remember that you can always ask questions if you get stuck. Good luck and keep the faith!

 

[BarbG]

You're going to do just fine. Have faith in your abilities.