Talk me off the Ledge... $2000 for a chicken coop!

[Reginazavier]

I just received a quote for a 10x6 chicken coop... $2,023! I know lumber is sky high... no need to tell me that. But here is the crazy part... I'm thinking about paying it. But I honestly feel like a fool paying that much for a CHICKEN COOP! I was fine with $1500... and $1700. But $2k seemed a bit excessive. What do you think? Give me your story.

 

[kinetic]

I easily spent $2500 on the first coop...the second and third coops were built in an existing shed and were much cheaper.

 

[Reginazavier]

i have a run down aviary that is 16 ft wide and 10 ft deep. i hired someone to renovate it so i could keep chickens and quails. He quoted me 2,400 but he used the very cheapest materials he could find. The most important thing is that he wire the walls with 1/4 inch hardware wire. He attached the wire to the plywood and then attached the plywood to the walls. He did some weird things which i him redo. I even bought some materials to make my structure rodent proof but in time we shall see. All in all, it cost me about $2, 700. i live in hawaii and items are a bit more expensive than on the mainland.

Check out coops at Tractor Supply- they make kits, it’s probably cheaper

 

[rosemarythyme]

Check out coops at Tractor Supply- they make kits, it’s probably cheaper

The OP already has a kit coop, she's now trying to get a sturdier, well built one and not a prefab.

 

[TheFarm41]

I just received a quote for a 10x6 chicken coop... $2,023! I know lumber is sky high... no need to tell me that. But here is the crazy part... I'm thinking about paying it. But I honestly feel like a fool paying that much for a CHICKEN COOP! I was fine with $1500... and $1700. But $2k seemed a bit excessive. What do you think? Give me your story.

 

[Carson213]

I just received a quote for a 10x6 chicken coop... $2,023! I know lumber is sky high... no need to tell me that. But here is the crazy part... I'm thinking about paying it. But I honestly feel like a fool paying that much for a CHICKEN COOP! I was fine with $1500... and $1700. But $2k seemed a bit excessive. What do you think? Give me your story.

i built a coop last year myself. it’s 12x24’ and half is storage for garden and 12’ for chickens. it was around $5k with metal roof and 3/4” plywood floor with 2x12’s every 12” for floor joists along with hardy plank.

TODAY...double that price to $10k to build yourself.

this is the only thing i have ever built in my life...but i googled it all

 

[Carson213]

i built a coop last year myself. it’s 12x24’ and half is storage for garden and 12’ for chickens. it was around $5k with metal roof and 3/4” plywood floor with 2x12’s every 12” for floor joists along with hardy plank.

TODAY...double that price to $10k to build yourself.

this is the only thing i have ever built in my life...but i googled it all

we burned down a 100 year old coop that was 35x100’. i went way smaller since i’m not a chicken farmer

 

[Vickischics]

This is a good point.

Today I was given this coop and a brooder/playpen structure along with the 4 chicks I was expecting because my friend wants to list her house and needed to get this useful but unattractive structure off her property.

View attachment 2662270

I'm going to "redneck" it into a walk-in, outdoor brooder for the 35 chicks that are arriving before the new coop is going to be complete (it's been delayed by weather, health problems, and difficulty obtaining materials).

People who live in town need to pay attention to property values and aesthetics when building their coops whereas purely practical structures made from pallets and tarps are more acceptable in rural areas.



If I were 15 years younger I'd go for it. I'm not strong enough to lay block, but I'm sure I could handle brick -- at least well enough to make a chicken coop.

Remember: Chicken wire does NOT keep anyone safe. You MUST use heavy gauge Hardware cloth. Secure it with washers and screws or staples with a strip of wood over the staples. Preditors including snakes can fit and or reach right through the holes of flimsy chicken wire and they'll push it in.
Depending on where you live and the type of preditors in your area, you might have to put an Electric wire around to send that preditor flying!! Esp if it doesn't have wings!!!

 

[TheFarm41]

Wow! I must be super cheap. I paid less than that for my car! I guess if your chicken coop is in your yard and you are trying to have it match the look of the house it makes more sense. Yes lumber and labor are expensive and $2,000 is probably a fair price.

But honestly chickens don't care nor do they need much of a coop if any. We have lots of chickens and just about every type of coop you could dream up. Even with all of these coops a good portion of our flock chooses to sleep in the tree. Most of the coops have been free or almost free, and we have built them from material we have scrounged up. The hens roam the pasture during the day and return to their coop at night, so these coops do not have a run.

'Big Coop' 11'X12' This is our winter coop when we reign the chickens in a bit. Someone else built this coop and likely spent a lot of time and money on it. But they were moving and wanted it gone. The two of us spent the better part of a day cutting it into pieces and hauling it home and the next day putting it back together.

'Tall Coop' 4'X6' Looks like a giant bird house. It is suspended on one large post that runs through the middle of it. It sets about 4.5' off the ground our chickens fly in and out of the access door. This design was my husband's idea so predators could not get in. It is too tall for a coyote to reach, and there is no way a racoon or weasle could climb the center post and reach the access door. It does not require wire, or any other predator proofing and has worked great! I stand on a stump to reach the egg box. This coop is super awesome for 6-8 hens.

'Dream House' 4'X5' it was originally a kids play house from Costco. Our neighbors were hauling it to the dump. We did a quick "remodel", patched the roof with a few cedar shakes and set it on a pallet board that we got for free. It turned out super cute, I painted it and added some flower boxes and curtains to the front windows.

The 'Chicksy Wagon' and the 'Egg mobile'. These are our summer coops for when we rotate through the pasture. Two 4'x8' mobile coops. We did purchase two small frame from a little utility trailers for around $100.00 each. Got one of the coops for free on the side of the road, and altered it to fit on the trailer. We painted it and dressed it up and installed a roll away nest box. The second mobile coop was built our of scavenged material.

The 'Duck House'. 3'X3'. Originally a dog house, free on the side of the road. This coop is a little plain, but functional. It is on low to the ground for our non flying ducks.

I just received a quote for a 10x6 chicken coop... $2,023! I know lumber is sky high... no need to tell me that. But here is the crazy part... I'm thinking about paying it. But I honestly feel like a fool paying that much for a CHICKEN COOP! I was fine with $1500... and $1700. But $2k seemed a bit excessive. What do you think? Give me your story.

 

[organicbabydolls]

This is the start of it, with all materials less than $700. And yes the price of lumber goes up weekly. We already had plywood, roof stuff, and nesting boxes. Super heavy duty. It’s a labor of love. Time=Money though...